Australia, Japan and Singapore, co-organizers of the Joint Statement Initiative on E-Commerce (JSI), urged participants in the process to: redouble their efforts to achieve a simplified text, ahead of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Twelfth Ministerial Conference (MC12), which kicks off in late November.
At a meeting held on 13 October 2021, Ambassador George Mina (Australia) He said that “it is important for the initiative that participants achieve the goal of obtaining a package of 10 to 12 clean agreed texts for the future CM12 e-commerce agreement, while continuing their discussions on specific topics.”
Ambassador Kazuyuki Yamazaki (Japan) He also encouraged members to maintain this momentum through to CM12 and beyond, reporting on “the recent establishment of the two small groups on e-invoicing and cybersecurity.” He suggested that negotiating participants discuss, in small groups, important issues related to the Personal data protection, in addition to those relating to open access to the Internet, paperless commerce, the electronic transactions framework and electronic invoicing.
“Proper protection of personal information is essential,” said the Japanese Ambassador. At the same time, he added that “transparency, predictability and interoperability of applicable rules are also necessary for cross-border e-commerce activities.” He noted that the issue of cryptography also contributes significantly to business confidence in trade.
In this regard, the Ambassador Hung Seng Tan (Singapore) He noted in his concluding remarks that “privacy issues and ICT products that use encryption are complex, and that the deep The discussion that members held in plenary on this issue was necessary for better understanding and trust. among members, as they formulate provisions that are significant for businesses and consumers.”
In line with his peers, the Singapore co-organizer encouraged WTO members to use the upcoming Ministerial Conference as a milestone to showcase progress to stakeholders, in particular in achieving the goal of the joint statement initiative on e-commerce with 10 or 12 clean texts on specific topics. He added that it would be useful to set a target for the negotiations to guide members towards that goal.
“After MC12, ministerial engagement will be necessary to maintain momentum in negotiations and ensure timely guidance to resolve political issues,” Tan said.
It should be recalled that in February 2021, the members participating in the process of the joint declaration initiative on electronic commerce reached a clean text in unsolicited commercial messages or spamAt the meeting on April 20, they announced the "clean" negotiating text on electronic signatures and authentication.
WTO negotiations on relevant aspects of e-commerce were launched in Davos, Switzerland, in January 2019, with the participation of 76 members. Currently, 86 members are participating in the negotiations, collectively representing more than 90 per cent of world trade and representing all major regions and levels of development. (WTO Press Release) (Joint Statement Initiative on E-Commerce: Update from the co-conveners)
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