The digital economy, including cross-border services and electronic commerce (e-commerce), contributes to democratic and economic development by expanding market access, promoting inclusive trade, and expanding tax revenue for governments to provide essential services. The growth of digital technologies and their accessibility around the globe has democratized opportunities for many individuals, and yet, the economic and social development generated by digital innovations remains uneven, disproportionally excluding emerging economies.
Global governance standards and norms around the digital economy are lacking, while approaches to regulating important issues like data privacy are hotly contested. Given that the digital economy is a product of a borderless internet, its accessibility and governance are relevant to everyone, especially local business communities responsible for many of the goods, services, and employment opportunities available in a country.
To address the urgent need for multistakeholder dialogue around policies governing the digital economy, CIPE and New Markets Lab (NML) developed an in-depth legal and advocacy guidebook Digital Economy Enabling Environment Guide: Key Areas of Dialogue for Business and Policymakers covering data protection, regulation of electronic transactions (e-payments and e-signatures), consumer protection in the digital age, and cybersecurity. Building upon the guidebook, CIPE developed the online training course, How to Create an Enabling Environment for the Digital Economy, which enables users to understand how they can participate in policy and regulatory conversations that shape an enabling digital economy environment. As the digital economy and the opportunities that it provides evolves, so must national policies and regulations that facilitate competitiveness, security and inclusiveness. CIPE encourages private sector stakeholders to participate in dialogue and engage in timely advocacy on these pressing digital economy issues.