WSIS Action Line C7 E-business: Building an inclusive digital economy

Summary

This panel discussion focused on implementing Action Line C7 on e-business from the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) framework and its alignment with the UN Global Digital Compact to create a more inclusive digital economy. The session was moderated by Radka Sibille from the Universal Postal Union and featured representatives from multiple UN agencies including ITC, UNCTAD, UNIDO, and the Indian government.

Valentina Rollo from ITC presented findings from their Digital Transformation Survey covering 7,000 companies across 78 countries, revealing that over 80% of firms using digital tools reported increased sales and reduced costs. She emphasized that expert digital users are five times more likely to report growing sales, but noted significant gaps between digitally advanced and less advanced countries. The discussion highlighted three key enablers for digital transformation: infrastructure, skills, and supportive regulatory frameworks.

Kevin Hernandez from UPU explained how postal services can bridge digital divides, noting that 71% of postal operators in 153 countries provide e-commerce services, particularly reaching underserved rural populations. Torbjörn Fredriksson from UNCTAD addressed gender inclusion challenges, revealing that only one in 16 women own established enterprises compared to one in 10 men, and introduced UNCTAD’s E-Trade for Women initiative supporting 450 women digital entrepreneurs across 65 developing countries.

Lakshmikanta Dash from India’s Ministry of Communications shared concrete examples of digital inclusion through initiatives like Jan Dhan Yojana (financial inclusion), Aadhaar (national identity), and mobile penetration, along with 1,000 postal export promotion centers supporting rural women entrepreneurs. Jason Slater from UNIDO discussed aligning the Global Digital Compact’s Objective 2 with Action Line C7, announcing upcoming calls for solutions to support SMEs and emphasizing the need for public-private partnerships and centers of excellence.

The discussion concluded with recommendations for conducting national assessments, building cooperative networks among small businesses, and strengthening coordination between UN agencies to avoid silos and maximize impact in creating an inclusive digital economy.

Keypoints

## Major Discussion Points:

– **Digital transformation challenges for small businesses**: The discussion highlighted that while over 80% of firms using digital tools report increased sales and reduced costs, significant gaps exist between digitally advanced and less advanced countries. In digitally ready countries, 60% of firms are expert users compared to much lower rates in less prepared nations.

– **Role of postal services in digital inclusion**: The Universal Postal Union presented how the global postal network, with over 650,000 post offices (mostly in rural areas), serves as a crucial enabler for inclusive e-commerce by providing digital services with “human touch” support, e-commerce platforms, and financial services to underserved populations.

– **Gender inclusion in digital entrepreneurship**: UNCTAD emphasized the male-dominated nature of digital entrepreneurship, noting that only 1 in 16 women own established enterprises compared to 1 in 10 men, and highlighted their “E-Trade for Women” initiative supporting 450 women digital entrepreneurs across 65 developing countries.

– **Country-level implementation examples**: India’s representative shared concrete examples of digital inclusion through initiatives like Jan Dhan Yojana (financial inclusion), the National Rural Livelihood Mission focusing on women’s workforce participation, and 1,000 export promotion centers through post offices to help rural artisans access international markets.

– **Alignment between WSIS Action Line C7 and Global Digital Compact**: The discussion explored how the 20-year-old e-business action line aligns with the newly adopted Global Digital Compact’s Objective 2 on expanding digital economy inclusion, emphasizing the need for synergies and coordinated UN system approaches.

## Overall Purpose:

The discussion aimed to examine how the implementation of WSIS Action Line C7 on e-business has contributed to a more inclusive digital economy and e-commerce, while exploring synergies with the Global Digital Compact and identifying ongoing challenges that need to be addressed through coordinated UN agency efforts.

## Overall Tone:

The discussion maintained a collaborative and constructive tone throughout, with panelists building upon each other’s points and emphasizing partnership opportunities. The tone was professional yet optimistic, with speakers sharing both challenges and success stories. There was a consistent emphasis on practical solutions and multi-stakeholder cooperation, and the tone remained solution-oriented even when discussing significant barriers to digital inclusion.

Speakers

– **Radka Sibille** – Moderator, leads on digital issues and trade in the Universal Postal Union

– **Valentina Rollo** – Head of research in the International Trade Center (ITC)

– **Kevin Hernandez** – Digital inclusion expert at the Universal Postal Union

– **Torbjorn Fredriksson** – Head of e-commerce and digital economy branch in UNCTAD

– **Jason Slater** – Chief of AI Innovation and Digital Officer in UNIDO

– **Lakshmikanta Dash** – Deputy Director-General in the Ministry of Communications in the Government of India (remote panelist)

– **Audience** – Various audience members who asked questions during the Q&A session

Additional speakers:

– **Ahmed from Oman** – Audience member who asked about national digital economy programs

– **Marco Llinás from ECLAC** – Representative from ECLAC who discussed technology adoption challenges in Latin America

– **Nigel Casimir from the Caribbean Telecommunications Union** – Representative who provided small island developing states perspective on driving adoption

# Comprehensive Report: Implementing WSIS Action Line C7 on E-Business and Alignment with the UN Global Digital Compact

## Executive Summary

This one-hour panel discussion, moderated by Radka Sibille who leads on digital issues and trade at the Universal Postal Union, examined the implementation of World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Action Line C7 on e-business and its alignment with the UN Global Digital Compact to create a more inclusive digital economy. The session was co-hosted by UPU with sister agencies ITC, UNCTAD, and in collaboration with UNIDO.

The panel brought together representatives from multiple UN agencies and the Indian government, with Lakshmikanta Dash, Deputy Director-General in the Ministry of Communications in the Government of India, participating remotely. The discussion focused on supporting small and medium enterprises (SMEs), addressing gender disparities in digital entrepreneurship, and leveraging existing infrastructure such as postal networks to bridge digital divides.

## Key Presentations and Findings

### Digital Transformation Impact on Small Businesses

Valentina Rollo, head of research at ITC, presented findings from their Digital Transformation Survey covering over 7,000 companies across 78 countries. The research revealed that over 80% of firms using digital tools reported increased sales and reduced costs, with expert digital users showing particularly strong performance—they are five times more likely to report growing sales and twelve times more likely to see costs decrease compared to less advanced firms.

A striking disparity exists between digitally advanced and less prepared countries. In digitally advanced nations, 60% of firms are expert users—three times more than in countries with low digital readiness. In low digitally ready countries, large firms are two and a half times more likely to be expert users compared to small firms. However, these gaps almost disappear in countries that are digitally ready.

Rollo identified three critical enablers: infrastructure, skills, and supportive regulatory frameworks. Expert users distinguish themselves by improving financial management, training staff strategically, and actively engaging with business support organisations. She announced that ITC’s SME Competitiveness Outlook report focusing on digital transformation will be launched on July 23rd in South Africa at the ITC Ministerial.

### Postal Services as Digital Infrastructure

Kevin Hernandez from the Universal Postal Union highlighted the role of postal services in digital inclusion. The global postal network represents the most extensive service retail network worldwide, with over 650,000 post offices, the majority in rural areas. Among UPU’s 192 members: 71% provide e-commerce services, 58% provide digital financial services, and 70% provide connectivity solutions.

Hernandez provided specific examples: Uzbekistan’s UZPost operates multi-brand pick-up points where customers can try on clothing; Post Indonesia has established 200 rural collaboration centers for live streaming; and many postal services offer cash-on-delivery services that enable e-commerce participation for those without digital payment access. He mentioned that women are more likely to have postal bank accounts than men in certain contexts, suggesting postal services could serve as a pathway for women’s financial inclusion.

### Gender Disparities in Digital Entrepreneurship

Torbjörn Fredriksson, head of e-commerce and digital economy branch at UNCTAD, addressed significant gender gaps in digital entrepreneurship. According to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, only one in 16 women own an established enterprise compared with one in every 10 men globally. In Africa, only 17% of 2,600 tech startups had at least one female co-founder.

Fredriksson noted that underrepresentation of women in digital entrepreneurship creates challenges for policy advocacy, as fewer women are positioned to advocate for changes that benefit women’s entrepreneurship. UNCTAD’s “E-Trade for Women” initiative has worked with 450 women digital entrepreneurs across 65 developing countries through masterclasses and advocacy opportunities. He announced the next masterclass will be held in the Philippines later this year, with two additional masterclasses planned for Africa the following year.

### National Implementation: India’s Digital Inclusion Model

Lakshmikanta Dash described India’s comprehensive approach to digital inclusion for its 1.4 billion population. The government’s strategy centers on Jan Dhan Yojana (financial inclusion), Aadhaar (national identity system), and mobile penetration, which has been key to promoting rural business development.

The National Rural Livelihood Mission emphasizes women’s workforce participation in business transactions. India Post has established 1,000 export promotion centers to help women in handicrafts access overseas markets, providing banking facilities and export promotion services to rural populations lacking technical infrastructure.

### Global Digital Compact Alignment

Jason Slater, Chief of AI Innovation and Digital Officer at UNIDO, discussed alignment between the 20-year-old WSIS Action Line C7 and the Global Digital Compact’s Objective 2, which UNIDO and UNCTAD co-lead. He noted that only 17% of the 169 SDG targets are currently on track, with around 59 potentially negatively affected by digital transformation. However, AI and digitalisation can positively impact 134 of the 169 SDG targets when properly implemented.

Slater highlighted that India has 62 million SMEs—more than the UK’s population—illustrating the scale of the challenge. He announced that UNIDO would launch a call for action under Global Digital Compact Objective 2 on Thursday following the panel discussion, seeking solutions to support SMEs in digital transformation.

## Regional Perspectives and Challenges

### Latin American Context

Marco Llinás from ECLAC revealed that over 96% of micro and small firms in Latin America don’t have a web page, highlighting the gap between policy discussions about advanced technologies and basic digital reality facing most small businesses. This emphasizes the need for scaling up digital extension services and business support organisations.

### Small Island Developing States

Nigel Casimir from the Caribbean Telecommunications Union raised questions about governance frameworks needed to determine whether countries are accomplishing their digital economy goals. He emphasized the importance of governments leading digital adoption by driving government services online and enhancing ease of doing business.

## Audience Questions and Responses

Ahmed from Oman asked about updating their national digital economy program for 2026-2030. Fredriksson responded that countries should start with careful analysis of current digital readiness, emphasizing the need for inter-ministerial coordination and comprehensive assessment before developing five-year digital economy plans.

An audience member highlighted the importance of governments leading by example through digitizing their own services first, which several panelists supported as a crucial step in creating enabling environments for digital transformation.

## Areas of Consensus

### Supporting Intermediary Organizations

Strong agreement emerged around strengthening business support organisations and intermediary institutions. Rollo emphasized that business support organisations need support themselves to develop digital transformation services, noting that cooperatives work well as a first step for businesses to connect and share information about available support.

### Government Leadership

Multiple speakers agreed that governments must take a leading role through strategic planning, service digitalisation, and coordinated policy implementation. The Indian example demonstrated how coordinated action across multiple government agencies can create comprehensive enabling environments.

### Targeted Support for Women

Consistent emphasis on deliberate efforts to include women in digital transformation initiatives, with recognition that women represent an underserved group requiring specific support mechanisms.

## Concrete Outcomes and Commitments

### Immediate Initiatives

– UNIDO committed to launching a call for action under Global Digital Compact Objective 2

– ITC announced the July 23rd launch of their SME Competitiveness Outlook report in South Africa

– UPU indicated the forthcoming release of their Digital Panorama Report on the post’s role in digital transformations

– UNCTAD committed to the next E-Trade for Women masterclass in the Philippines, with two additional African masterclasses planned

### Collaborative Support

Panelists committed to supporting member states through collaborative assessments and technical assistance for digital economy planning. UN agencies agreed to continue breaking down silos and work together on WSIS Beyond 20 implementation and Global Digital Compact objectives.

## Outstanding Challenges

### Scaling Basic Digital Services

The question of how to effectively scale digital extension services to reach the 96% of micro and small firms lacking basic web presence remains a fundamental implementation challenge. While speakers suggested step-by-step approaches starting with cooperatives and sector associations, specific mechanisms for achieving scale while maintaining quality require further development.

### Governance and Monitoring

Specific governance frameworks and monitoring mechanisms for countries developing digital economy strategies remain undefined, particularly challenging for small island developing states and countries with limited institutional capacity.

### Gender Inclusion Implementation

While speakers agreed on the importance of women’s participation, specific strategies to address persistent gender gaps and ensure access to capital for women-led tech startups require further development.

## Pathways Forward

### Hybrid Implementation Approaches

A step-by-step approach starting with cooperatives and sector associations before moving to more advanced business support organisations could provide a practical pathway for scaling digital adoption while building institutional capacity.

### Blended Service Delivery

The physical-digital service delivery model through postal networks offers an approach to bridging digital divides while building digital capacity, leveraging existing infrastructure while introducing digital capabilities.

### Coordinated UN System Approach

The commitment to coordinated UN agency approaches that leverage different organisational strengths while avoiding duplication represents a significant step forward in addressing traditional silos.

## Conclusion

This discussion demonstrated remarkable consensus among UN agencies and member states on fundamental principles of digital inclusion. The high level of agreement on core objectives—supporting SMEs, reaching underserved populations, and creating enabling environments—facilitates coordinated implementation of both WSIS Action Line C7 and Global Digital Compact objectives.

The concrete commitments made by participating organisations, combined with identification of specific collaboration pathways, suggest this discussion will contribute to more effective implementation of digital inclusion initiatives. The recognition that digital transformation requires deliberate efforts to reach marginalised populations provides a clear mandate for inclusive approaches to digital development.

Success will depend on maintaining the collaborative spirit demonstrated while addressing practical challenges of scaling digital adoption, building institutional capacity, and ensuring digital transformation benefits reach those who need them most.

Radka Sibille: Good morning, everyone. Thank you very much for joining us. My name is Radka Sibille, and I lead on digital issues and trade in the Universal Postal Union. It is my great pleasure to moderate today’s panel, which we co-host together with our sister agencies, the International Trade Center, UNCTAD, and in collaboration with UNIDO. Today’s discussion is going to focus on one of the action lines, the action line C7 on e-business, and we’re going to have a look at how the implementation, the facilitation of this business action line led to more inclusive digital economy, more e-commerce, and what are some of the challenges that we still need to address. And because last year, the UN has adopted another huge regulatory-related document, the Global Digital Compact, which also addresses the expansion of inclusion through e-trade, e-commerce. We’re also going to look at how the Global Digital Compact and this business action line can be cooperating together, creating more synergies and how we, as the UN system, can work together on these two objectives. So today with me, I have distinguished panelists, and I’m really glad to welcome them. So first, in my further left hand, it’s Mrs. Valentina Rolo, who is the head of research in the ITC. Welcome. Next to me is my colleague from the Universal Postal Union, Mr. Kevin Hernandez, who is our digital inclusion expert. Welcome, Kevin. Then on my right side, Mr. Torbjörn Fredriksson, who I think doesn’t need any introduction. He’s the head of e-commerce and digital economy branch in UNCTAD. Welcome. Thank you. Next to him is Mr. Jason Slater, the Chief of AI Innovation and Digital Officer in UNIDO. Very well, welcome. And last but not least, we also have a remote panelist, Mr. Laxmikanta Dash, who is the Deputy Director-General in the Ministry of Communications in the Government of India. So welcome, Mr. Dash, as well. And we will have roughly one hour. So without further ado, let’s just dive into the topic. And I will maybe start with Mrs. Valentina Rollo. And my question to you, Valentina, would be, what does meaningful digital transformation look like for small businesses and what needs to happen to make it a reality in different country contexts? Thank you.

Valentina Rollo: Thank you for the introduction. And it’s a pleasure to be here in this panel. Thank you for the question. And it’s actually a very important question. Also, given the role that actually SMEs play, they make up for more than 90% of business almost in every countries, and even more if we talk about informal business. And they actually play an important role also as social stabilizers, given that they are owned and also employ the most vulnerable. So we focus on small business at the International Trade Center. And to answer this question, we draw on the findings from the ITC flagship application that is forthcoming, the SME Competitiveness Outlook. And it’s very timely because this year it focuses on digital transformation of small business. So to actually better understand how companies, especially small business, adopt digital technologies and transform over time, actually, we launched a survey in 2023, the Digital Transformation Survey, and we covered over 7,000- companies across 78 countries. So based on this data, what we did was to develop an index at the firm level, the Enterprise Digital Transformation Index. And with this index, we gathered a lot of different elements that are related to digital transformation. And the evidence from the data is actually very clear about the benefits. Over 80% of firms that use digital tools actually reported increased in sales and reduction in cost efficiency. And the most advanced users of digital technologies that we call expert users are actually five times more likely to report growing sales and 12 times more likely to see their costs going down compared to the less advanced firms. And this is efficiency. So productivity is not only that, actually, the benefits go beyond efficiency. The expert users, those that I mentioned before, are actually twice as likely to innovate or improve their products or services quality compared to the less digitally advanced ones. Now, unfortunately, clearly, there are expert users, not expert users. So not all the companies benefits, not in the same way. And this depends on one side on their needs. Different companies have different needs. And sometimes, well, they are in different sectors, too. So just think about agriculture and services. They have different needs. They need digital technologies, but in different ways. But one important element of the extent to which actually firms are able to use digital technologies is the environment in which they operate. So the business environment. And we actually use the data from the Portland Institute, the Network Readiness Index to assess the readiness of countries and combine it with the data that we collected at the firm level to understand how these two are connected. So how adoption at the firm level and the use of these technologies is related to the digital readiness of the country they operate in. And we found that actually in digitally advanced countries, 60% of the firms are expert users. And this is three times more than in countries that are less digitally ready. And in low digitally ready countries, two and a half, large firms are two and a half times more likely to be expert users compared to small firms. And also the women-led business, the youth-led business, they also lag behind. So this is interesting to see that the difference is, but this is in countries with low digital readiness. What is interesting is the fact that these differences, these gaps almost disappear in countries that are actually digitally ready where the environment is conducive. And so this tells us two things. On one side, size and leadership matter, but it matters more when the environment is weak, where it’s lacking. So it clearly is a clear driver of gaps. But also as the technologies develop and they spread, we need to also worry that these divides that we observe today within countries and across countries do not widen, do not continue to widen. And so for this, to prevent this, some actions need to be taken. And on one side, and this brings us to the second part of your question. So what needs to happen to make digital transformation a reality for SMEs and everywhere? So at the policy level. Also, thanks to the Portland Institute Network Readiness Index, we have identified the three enablers that we see in the data for digital readiness, so infrastructure, skills, and digital regulatory frameworks. So, at the policy level, governments need to ensure that infrastructure is there for companies to be able to connect, to have access to the devices, and do so in an affordable way. So, it’s not only connecting, but it’s also affordability, both of them. Governments need to make sure that the skills are available. Not only the owners of the companies need to have the digital skills to actually understand how they can use the digital technologies in their benefit, but also have access to employees with the skills needed to help their business grow and innovate. And finally, they need a digitally friendly regulatory framework to ensure that there are no administrative and regulatory barriers to their use of digital technologies. So, in countries where these three enablers are strong, so infrastructure, skills, and regulatory frameworks, we have seen that the share of expert users is often double that in the countries where these enablers are weak. And so, we’re talking about the policy level, which is the most important, but firms do not just wait until things are solved. They operate in a day-to-day, in every type of environment. So, we’ve tried to understand, also in weak environments, what are the characteristics of the expert users of digital technologies. in the Future of Digital Technology and we have seen that they take three critical actions in a way. They actually improve their financial management. Financial management is one and this helps them as well to face the higher costs in the countries where their infrastructures and devices are not necessarily there or affordable. The second action that they do is actually they train their staff and are careful when hiring or recruiting. They do so strategically and this helps actually firms to access and to build the skills that they need internally and they engage with business support organizations and the business support organizations are very important to provide the networks, the information and the advocacy that companies need. Now these actions and at the policy level, at the firm level, so private sector, public sector that I mentioned are in the Digital Transformation Action Plan that you will find in the report, the Semi-Competitiveness Outlook that is actually about to be launched. It will be launched on the 23rd of July this month in South Africa at the ITC Ministerial. So I’ll encourage you if you’re interested to download the report on the 23rd of July and I will stop here because I’ve taken too much time. Thank you.

Radka Sibille: Thank you. Thank you so much and thanks for the heads up on the report. We will be interested in reading that. So my second question goes to my colleague Kevin Hernandez from the Universal Postal Union. Kevin, how can the postal sector actually help undeserved populations in developing countries to participate in the digital economy?

Kevin Hernandez: Thank you. Do we have the slides? Yes. Can we go to the slides? No, it’s okay. I’ll do it without the slides. So hi everyone. So many So hi everyone. So many So hi everyone. So many So hi everyone. So many So hi everyone. So many So hi everyone. So many So hi everyone. So many My name is Kevin Hernandez and I am a Digital Inclusion Expert at the Universal Postal Union, which is the United Nations specialized agency focusing on the postal sector. And today I’m just going to give you some insights on what positions the post will be an enabler for inclusive e-commerce. So let’s start by speaking about what makes the post inclusive in general. So firstly, it has an unparalleled reach. The global postal network is likely the most extensive service retail network in the world. There are over 650,000 post offices and a majority of them are located in rural areas, specifically the places where people are least likely to engage in e-commerce activities. And this reach is thanks in large part to the UPU’s universal service obligation. So all 192 members of the UPU have to designate at least one postal operator who must provide at least the most basic postal services to everyone within the country’s territory. So this incentivizes post offices to open and delivery vehicles to visit places where other service providers tend to stay away from. And this is actually one of the reasons why many e-commerce giants who have their own delivery services end up relying on the post for the last mile. And on top of that, the post is also the second largest contributor to financial inclusion in the world behind commercial banks. Specifically, posts have been shown to be extremely inclusive of women, so women are significantly more likely to have postal bank accounts than men. And we see that this inclusivity now also applies to digital services. So we recently conducted a survey and 153 countries responded, so posts from 153 countries. And we found that in these 153 countries, over 71% of posts provide e-commerce services. And I’m going to come back to this in a second. We also found that 58% provide digital services. and Mr. Kevin Hernandez. So, we have a number of countries that are providing digital financial services, and these are often a prerequisite to engage in the digital economy. We find that 51% of posts are also providing e-government services, many of which facilitate access to the digital economy as well. And 70% of countries’ posts are also providing at least one connectivity service or solution that is directly helping to bridge digital divides. And so, what makes these services inclusive? So, what makes these services inclusive is that posts are providing these services with a human touch by integrating or blending physical channels and digital channels to help reach underserved communities. So, this includes offering digital services through digitally equipped post office counters with hand-holding support from the postal staff, and also sometimes even delivery personnel who are able to provide digital services at people’s homes with a digital device. And this strategy, once again, allows people with less access to digital technology or who lack digital skills an opportunity to continue to participate in the economy as services digitalize, and also to, once again, receive hand-holding support when it is needed. So, once again, as I mentioned earlier, 71% of posts are providing some kind of e-commerce services, and this includes a wide range of e-commerce services that remove barriers for SMEs to participate in the digital economy or in e-commerce, and also support the entire e-commerce ecosystem. So, as you would expect, posts offer delivery services for e-commerce sales. So, for an example, in Uzbekistan, UZPost partners with all the major e-commerce platforms to offer multi-brand pick-up drop-off points that also provide customers with the opportunity to even try on clothing before they purchase it. And some posts even provide fulfillments and warehousing services. reaching communities that otherwise would lack them. And many posts also offer e-commerce support services. For example, Post Indonesia has launched 200 rural collaboration centers that provide SMEs with spaces for live streaming their products that allow them to engage in social selling among many other services that are provided in these collaboration centers. And posts also offer payment options that help build trust between e-commerce buyers and sellers. For example, once again, in Post Indonesia, they provide cash-on-delivery options, which is actually the payment method that is most preferred by a majority of the population. And some posts have even launched their own e-commerce platforms, and they have specifically targeted rural and women-owned SMEs and SMEs selling traditional products. For example, a good example is Correos Click by Correos de Mexico, which takes this approach. And lastly, many posts facilitate SME exports, including cross-border e-commerce sales. And we’re very fortunate today that we have a leading example on this panel, which is India Post Office Export Centers, which Mr. Dash will cover in his presentation. And just to let you know how the UPU supports posts in further facilitating inclusive e-commerce, the UPU supports governments and postal operators to leverage their infrastructure for inclusive e-commerce in three main ways. So firstly, our Connect.post project aims to connect all post offices and all postal infrastructure to the Internet to make the offering of e-commerce through the post possible in the first place. Secondly, our Trade.post project helps these actors diversify into e-commerce services. And this is done through technical assistance, including capacity building, advisory services, assessments, and assistance in implementation of these services. And of course, we advocate for greater use of e-commerce. of the Post and E-commerce through the Trade Post Forum and the Trade Post Awards and also through our research. And we also have an upcoming report which we are calling the Digital Panorama Report. And this focuses on the post role and facilitating inclusive digital transformations. And it’s, yeah, I’ll end there. Thank you.

Radka Sibille: Thank you so much Kevin for this deep dive into how post offices serve oftentimes as lifelines in their communities. My next question would be to my neighbor on my right, Torbjörn from UNCTAD, how can the UN agencies and other WSIS stakeholders support women to become more successful as entrepreneurs in the digital economy? For instance, to improve their access to finance, services, capacity building or policymaking spaces. Thank you.

Torbjorn Fredriksson: Thank you Radka and thanks colleagues on the panel. And hello everyone. Let me start by just noting that beyond co-facilitating this action line on e-business together with ITC and UPU, we’re also co-leading together with UNIDO and the objective two of the global digital compact. And that’s why we thought it was very useful to connect the dots a little bit here between the action line perspective and the GDC perspective. The second objective of the GDC, as you know, is the question of how do we make the digital economy more inclusive? And I think already we have listened to the issue of inclusiveness from the perspective of the countries that are more digitally ready and the ones that are less digitally ready. We have heard about the challenges for small businesses compact with larger businesses. And UPU also touched upon the question of rural and urban perspectives. So Radka kindly advised me to talk about women. So thank you for that. Let’s just reflect upon what does it say in the global digital compact under this objective with regard to this aspect. So it says in paragraph 21 that member states commit to foster innovation and entrepreneurship including among women, youth and other underrepresented entrepreneurs with the goal of increasing the number of digital startups and MSMEs in developing countries and to facilitate their access to markets through the use of digital technologies. There’s a strong focus there on the women’s side. So what do we know about gender inclusion in this area, innovation and entrepreneurship? Not too much, I must say. There is actually quite limited data in this area. Any systematic data is very limited. However, there is some anecdotal evidence that we can look at and I’m afraid that the picture that comes across is quite similar across these different anecdotal data. According to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, only one in 16 women own an established enterprise compared with one in every 10 men. In Africa, one survey found that only 17 percent of 2,600 tech startups had at least one female co-founder. That means that 83 percent did not. In Southeast Asia, startups with at least one female founder have been found to raise 18 percent of all the private capital secured in 2023. So generally, tech startups and entrepreneurship in the digital economy remains a largely male-dominated area and there is really no reason why that should be the case. There are many reasons for this situation. There are societal biases, there are cultural norms that have held back women from becoming entrepreneurs or succeeding as entrepreneurs, there has been a lack of role models, especially in such a new area as digital, and there is often limited access to capital for these women. To achieve inclusiveness, women should really be represented in a much bigger way and in a more equal way. So the question is, what can the UN do? What can we do as ANKTA? What we have done so far is that we, in 2019, we created an initiative called E-Trade for Women. In short, its objective is to support women digital entrepreneurs from developing countries to help them thrive as business leaders and to emerge as an influential voice in the public policy debate. If there are very few women that are advocating for changes that are good for women entrepreneurship, there will be few policy changes that are good for women entrepreneurship. We are implementing this initiative in close collaboration with many other parts of the UN and beyond, including regional commissions like ECA, ECLAC, ESCWA, and we have worked very closely with ITC and WIPO. And there is also an organization in Southeast Asia called ERIA that has been working very closely with us specifically in the Southeast Asia and South Asia region. So far, we have worked together with 450 women digital entrepreneurs, founders of such companies in 65 developing countries. What do we do? Well, we organize regional masterclasses led by an E-Trade for Women advocate, and the next one we will hold will be in the Philippines later this year, and next year we will hold two such masterclasses in Africa. We organize community activities among those that have been participating in masterclasses to facilitate networking, skills development, and to foster solutions to address the barriers that they are facing. And we are organizing advocacy opportunities to give the women digital entrepreneurs that really know the challenges that they are facing and the things they would like to have made different from the policy makers, meet the policy makers at the global level, at the regional level, and in their own way. countries. So as we move forward, both with the next period of WSIS implementation related to this action line and with the implementation of the Global Digital Compact, we need to become better at connecting the dots to enable more women to harness the digital economy as entrepreneurs. So in this context, we really need to look for every opportunity to join forces, to reap synergies and avoid duplication. The challenge that we’re facing is to scale up and to do it effectively.

Radka Sibille: Thank you. Thank you so much, Torbjörn. And now after hearing from three agencies already, we thought it would be a good opportunity to hear also from a member state, to hear some of the examples of improving digital inclusion. And so for this, I would like to give the floor to Mr. Dash, the Deputy Director General in the Ministry of Communications of India, who is our remote panelist. Mr. Dash, could you please let us know how India has improved digital inclusion for micro enterprises, MSMEs, women, and how do you envisage the future, for example, through the postal system? Thank you very much. You have the floor.

Lakshmikanta Dash: Good afternoon, everyone. I think good morning for the place that you are attending. I am indeed very happy to be associated with this particular initiative wherein I got a chance to present about the micro perspective that we are going to talk about in this session. And the point that has been given to me is basically speaking about how India has improved its digital inclusion for micro enterprises, SMEs, and the women workforce. And I must say it has been a success story for India with a population of almost 101.4 billion. The fact that any change which is required to be and Mr. Siddharth Mukherjee. The government of today and the previous governments have taken a lot of efforts to see that the benefits of this inclusion, the benefits of this technology introduction has gone to the last mile. To address this very specific issue of digital inclusion, I would like to inform the House that the government has come up with a lot of initiatives which has helped the women workforce and one of them would be to basically focus on the financial inclusion initiatives wherein the unbanked population has been brought under the ambit of banking. The unserved and the underserved population has been brought under some sort of financial septicnet which would provide them to take informed decisions which would be economically viable and in this connection what is known as the Prime Minister’s Jan Dhan Yojana. We call yojanas are basically plans in the local language and this, the Prime Minister’s initiative of bringing everybody under the ambit of banking has gone a long way and in India what is known as this Jan Dhan Aadhaar and mobile, basically the initiative of the government to provide financial inclusion, the initiative of the government to provide some sort of national identity and to see that everybody gets to do it at their fingertips through the mobile penetration. These things have, this trinity of Jan Dhan Aadhaar and mobile, it has gone a very long way in promoting the rural business and this is basically one of the key drivers of growth in India, part of India’s stack as we popularly know. This national identity program, I would like to And government has come up with a very ambitious plan of what is known as National Rural Livelihood Mission. Through which it is emphasized that the women workforce gets to have prominence in transacting business of various kinds. India for all you know produces a lot of handicrafts. And the postal channel through its 1,000 export promotion centers, which we locally call as Dak Ghar Niryat Kendra. This is a local name. The English translation goes as the export. and Ms. Vandana Shrivastava from the Department of Post. We ensure that these items find places to the overseas market through the post office. And that way, it basically helps the women workforce who are essentially into handicrafts of various descriptions, that is into, say, incense stick manufacturing, handicrafts and so many other things, they get a very clean passage through the India Post. So that way, the department also joins hands with the government of the day to provide financial inclusion services through the post office savings banks accounts of various types. It has got banking facilities for the small girl children who are between 2 to 10 years of age. It provides basic savings bank facilities. And through the export promotion centers, we tend to give services to the rural masses to promote their business. So these are some of the ways in which the department ensures that the local population who are slightly away from the technical hustle bustles, they also get to have their hands laid on the business parameters, business prospects, which they can benefit from. So to sum up, I would like to inform the audience here that the policies of the government is in sync with the aspirations of the people to see that we are in a position to provide them with the basic technical facilities, which will help them project business of various descriptions. And India Post with its large scale presence through the nook and corner of the country ensures that we provide them a lending hand to support their business in all forms that they can envisage. So that basically brings to the end of my small description on this matter. and I’ll be available here for any questions that you may have. Thank you very much for your patient hearing.

Radka Sibille: Thank you. Thank you so much, Mr. Desh. It’s always very refreshing to hear concrete examples from the country. So thanks so much for this. And now I give the floor to our last panelist, Mr. Jason Slater from UNIDO. And as was already mentioned, UNIDO is co-leading the implementation of the Objective 2 of the Global Digital Compact, which is about expanding inclusion and benefits from the digital economy for all. So how would you envisage the alignment between this objective and the e-business business action line? And so that, you know, everybody can contribute to an inclusive digital economy in the future.

Jason Slater: Thank you. Thank you very much, Radka. And let me take this opportunity also to thank the co-chairs from UNSER, both Torbjörn and in particular Thomas here to my right. I’m the chief AI innovation digital officer at UNIDO. I’m roughly around three months into this job. And when I started it, I had no clue what I was supposed to do in terms of the GDC, let alone WSIS line action seven. So please bear with me. I’m three months into this. I think I’m learning very, very fast, especially thanks to our colleagues in UNSER. So and I think I’d just like to underline the points that Torbjörn made before in terms of, you know, where we are right now with the Global Digital Compact and initiatives such as WSIS, also what’s going on in parallel for AI for good. It’s absolutely imperative that we do look to find those synergies between those various initiatives, not only to learn from that, but also to see how we can try to do something, perhaps slightly differently going forward, especially when you start to look at where we are in terms of the SDGs. You know, 17 percent of the SDGs of the 169 targets are currently on track. And around 59 of these could be negatively affected through data privacy, job displacement, carbon emissions, et cetera. However, AI digitalization can positively impact these around 134 of these targets. So it’s clear. through initiatives like the GDC, we have a good opportunity to see how, frankly, we can speed up some of those implementations of the SDGs and how it leads into some of the specific objectives of GDC. So, the GDC objective number two, for those who do not know, is focusing on expanding inclusive and benefits from the digital economy for all. It calls for enabling policy, regulatory frameworks, inclusive digital markets, supporting MSMEs, etc. Our colleague just then from India, I learned something recently, there are 62 million SMEs in India alone. That’s more than there are people in the country I’m from in UK. That’s incredible. So, it’s quite a task that we have to bring all of that together to ensure inclusivity as part of the GDC. In addition to that, we see that the Action Line C7 on e-business, which has been in operation now for two decades, we’re here to celebrate 20 years of WSIS going forward. And this is primarily about digital opportunities for businesses, especially SMEs through ICT applications, how can we enhance productivity, facilitate e-commerce growth, etc. There are clearly alignments between the two initiatives, one being how can we empower SMEs and particularly their local innovation ecosystems. One of the things I’m pleased to say that through the GDC roadmap, particularly in objective number two, we have what we refer to a multi-track approach. And one of them is really specifically about how can we engage with the SME community when it comes to calls for solutions. So, if I may, using this event to actually announce another one on Thursday, we will be announcing a call for action under the Global Digital Combat, under objective number two, to see what solutions are out there. How can we as a UN community actively promote in terms of thought leadership, how can we tell the good stories of what’s going on, how can we build up partnerships, whether that be from the North to the South, the South-South amongst countries, etc., and most importantly in terms of PPP, so public and private sector partnerships, so that we can build up those ecosystems. And ultimately, how can we then bring them into some of our own joint projects and programming so that we can actually implement those solutions and actually achieve the GDC? So those are some of the initiatives that we are working on. As I said, I would just really use this opportunity to you as our partners in this initiative, in this call, to support us to see that we can ultimately achieve the GDC, particularly in the area of the inclusive digital economy. So very briefly, in conclusion, it’s clear there is a shared vision in terms of inclusive digital transformation. There is an alignment between both digital economy and Action Line C7. It’s not only conceptual, but now we’re becoming operational. As Torben mentioned before, it is now time, I think especially what’s going on UNGA80, that we as a community demonstrate clear, actionable solutions together. So with that, thank you very much and back over to you.

Radka Sibille: Thank you. Thank you so much, Jason. So we have now concluded the presentations from our panelists and we can enjoy the last 20 minutes for any questions and comments. I’m sure there will be a lot of them. So I now open the floor for anybody who would like to ask or comment on the issues that we discussed. Yes, please. Gentleman over there. Thank you.

Audience: This is Ahmed from Oman and at the beginning, thank you very much for all the panelists and for the moderator. My question is, or before my question, in my country, we have a national program for our digital economy. It’s launched in 2020. It’s approved by the cabinet. This program, we aim to, in general, to increase the contribution of digital economy in the national GDP. And that’s why we aim to update it and to revamp it every five years, because you know how is digital economy. And now we are planning to put our plan for 2026 till 2030. Now I want to know from your lesson learned from your background, from your experience, what we should take care of, what we should put in the plan, what’s the enablers, what’s the infrastructure we should focus on it, so we will not miss anything during the next five years. And we’re sure that we have inclusive digital economy. Thank you very much.

Radka Sibille: Thank you. Thank you so much. Yes, Torbjörn, would you like to take this question?

Torbjorn Fredriksson: Thanks very much for that question. And it’s a very good one, because I think if you want to have an inclusive digital economy, you have to address so many different aspects. And I think various representatives here on the panel will be excellently positioned to support Oman and other countries in many different areas in the best way possible. And in order to support Oman in order to say exactly what you should do for the next five years, one needs to have a very careful analysis where you are today. And there is no blueprint that every country can apply. I’ll just give an example. We have conducted what we call e-trade readiness assessments now for 40 countries, 40 developing countries, from Lesotho in Africa to what we’re now doing with Indonesia, G20 country. And the issues are different. They are the same, but they are different. As pointed out by Valentina, the broad policy areas are the same. But what to do about them at this very point in time for Oman or for another country will vary. So if Oman would like to and Ms. Maria Moczko. Welcome to the World Economic Forum. Thank you for joining us. We are so glad that you are here. We are so happy to have you here. I think that we are going to start off by asking you to engage with us or with any of our colleagues here. That would be the first step to let’s sit down and have a chat, what you really want to achieve. What can we do to support you in that process? Maybe we can even do it together, depending on the issues that arise. It’s upon you because you are a member state of all these organizations. But sometimes we live in silos in the governments because we have different ministries that are actively taking part in different international organizations. But for the sake of digital development, digital transformation, one needs to break down those silos and work across the government ministries. And that means that you may also need to work with different parts of the UN and other international organizations. We’d be very happy to have a dialogue with you on that. But rather than me suggesting you should do this or that, it doesn’t really help you. We really need to do the assessment first to make sure where you are and where you want to go. That would be a short answer. If I may just take one more minute, you know, here at the WSIS, we are very much focused on multi-stakeholder collaboration. Of course, here in e-business, the business side is very important. But what is so essential is that when we talk about the private sector participation in WSIS, that we don’t just think about the biggest firms. We need to get the smaller firms at the table. We need to have women-led businesses. And we need to have small business from developing countries also at the table. And this is also some of the challenges that we need to address more fundamentally. If multi-stakeholderism should work in practice, we need to ensure that. We can do that on the countryside, in regional development, but also in these kind of global events. We need to have that small business, the women-led business and other businesses represented.

Radka Sibille: Thank you. And thanks for pointing out to the importance of the first assessment as a first step. And just to say that, including the UPU, we have always worked together with other agencies to do this type of holistic assessment. for countries. So please contact us whenever you need any help. Anybody else would like to take the floor?

Audience: Yes, please. Thank you very much, Marco Llinás from ECLAC. At ECLAC, we’re actually very worried that on the low level of technology adoption in our region, over 96% of micro and small size firms in Latin America don’t even have a web page. So if that’s the level of adoption of mature technology such as internet, we can imagine what are the levels of adoption of emerging technologies such as AI and internet of things and others. So we’re actually calling for the need to scale up digital extension services to support firms to adopt technologies. Valentina was talking about the need to engage with support organizations, but there we have a challenge of scaling up those efforts. So I don’t know what will be kind of like your views on how to address that challenge of scaling up support services to facilitate the adoption of technologies from firms, not only in Latin America, but around the world.

Radka Sibille: Valentina, would you like to take that?

Valentina Rollo: Thank you for the question,and it’s actually a very important one. At the International Trade Center, we actually work withBSOs, and we’ve been business support organizations of different types, from exports to chambers of commerce or sector associations. So there are many types of business support organizations. And we also talk to business, and it is interesting because also in this case, in this particular case of this publication, we talk to business to better understand what helped them to either use digital technologies or to be able to get to the next step, which is actually exporting through also digital technologies. And some of them actually told us that they were able to do so only thanks to the support of the business support organizations. But when they started, they didn’t even know where to go. So your question is very relevant, because sometimes they don’t know that these organizations exist, or they don’t know what kind of support they can get from them. And in the beginning, the fear also to be part of an organization can be a challenge. So there are different ways. And what I’ve seen and what What we have seen, and of course in different countries it will be different, and in different sectors it will be different, because the different sectors also cooperate in different ways, but the cooperatives work very well. And that’s probably a first step, because that’s where the business at least start talking to each other. And when business talk to each other, actually they get some of the information that they need. So one of the business actually told us that she was able to connect and get the support from the business organization, thanks to a WhatsApp group that they built among business, and where they were sharing the information, so what kind of grants were available, what kind of support, what programs. And so being able to, the sector associations are able, first of all, to bring them together, to bring their companies together. And then there are of course more advanced types of business support organizations, so not every business will be part of a trade promotion organization, because not actually a very minority of small business trade in the first place. So I think it’s a step-by-step approach, but in your region I’ve seen a lot of cooperatives working very well, so I will definitely, it looks like a very first step to go into then more advanced types of business support organizations. Can I also add one thing? What we’ve also seen is that business support organizations need support, because if they want to provide services for companies to transform digitally, they need support in developing these types of services, and not all business support organizations have these services or the knowledge to provide these services. So that’s the other side as well of the question. So from the government side, it’s important to support these business support organizations, to then better support the business. And I will stop here.

Radka Sibille: Thank you. Jason, you wanted to also…

Jason Slater: Yeah, I will be brief, because it links to both questions actually also, because I met with some representatives from Oman a few weeks ago, and we had the same conversation about industrial policy digitalization, as Torben mentioned, but then what specific programs can you bring in? In Peru, you have 7,000 textile workers that are just completely disconnected, and they’re reaching out to us to see how we can establish a center of excellence. So as my colleague pointed out from ITC, you need to think of the sector, if it’s Ethiopia, it’s leather, it’s coffee. If you’re looking at South Africa, it could well be automotive. If you start to look at areas within Latin America, it goes more towards the textile. So what we found is a very useful tool to do is to create a center of excellence. Again, this PPP approach, where you bring in the private sector to showcase the technology, to increase the digital adoption, but importantly as well, the skills that are necessary. So in some cases, you’re just literally looking at what is the platform that I can showcase through. And as an individual textile worker in Peru, that’s probably not going to be the most efficient, but create a platform where they can come together as an association, as a cooperative, something that I know has worked very well, in particular in Ethiopia with coffee. So that’s one thing I just wanted to mention is this COE-based approach around digital economy, smart manufacturing, et cetera, where you go through a very, very clear stage-based approach has proven to be quite effective. We’ve got around 10 or so already opened up globally in all of the various regions. So happy to share with you more detail if we can help there. Yeah.

Radka Sibille: Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much. Any other questions? Yes, please. Gentleman in the back. Yes.

Audience: Thank you. I’m Nigel Casimir from the Caribbean Telecommunications Union. I just wanted to give a small island developing states perspective on that question about driving adoption. And we in the Caribbean see the same sort of effect, you know, low adoption by small businesses and so on. And from the work that we’ve done, we are an intergovernmental organization. And what we’ve done in multiple islands across the Caribbean is help governments do national ICT plans, part of which, to make it a success, is to push adoption. And in small countries, you will also find that governments might be the largest employer, right? And sometimes it’s also appropriate for us to say that governments must lead in cases like that if they want to drive adoption. And how can they do so? They can do so by driving government services online, for example, enhancing the ease of doing business using digital tools. So you kind of give incentives to businesses, small and large, to start using the technology to get through all their government relief. whether or not there’s any sort of framework for a governance for any country or let’s say community trying to build a digital economy. So as you start to build a digital economy, what forms of governance are in place to determine whether you’re actually accomplishing what it is that you want to accomplish?

Radka Sibille: Yes, please, Torbjörn.

Torbjorn Fredriksson: I mean, first, thanks so much for that question. It’s a very good one. In fact, one of the things that we’ve come across through the work we do with member states is related to the challenge of governing a digital economy. I mean, governing anything is challenging. But what we’re doing here, we’re trying to go from an analog system to a digital system. And it doesn’t work exactly in the same way. And the governance issues appear at different levels, from communities to municipalities, to regions, to the national level, and sometimes the federal level in big economies. So you need to think through that very carefully. And I don’t think there is one, again, no blueprint for this. I mean, you need good governance to start with, and whatever that means. I mean, you need people that understand the issues, you need a clear division of labor, who is responsible for what, but without having silos so that you can actually communicate with each other. And what has happened when we are advising countries specifically on e-commerce, digital trade, and the economic dimension of digitalization, bringing together the relevant parts at the national level. at the national level, the ministries together in one group that is shared by one part, typically in our case, the Minister of Trade or the Minister of Digital, so that they know each other and they agree together in order for us to go from A to B over a certain time period. This ministry is responsible for that aspect and this ministry for that and also identifying the individuals. One way to help implement the changes that the government at whatever level agrees to implement over a certain period, we have also developed something we called an E-Trade Reform Tracker, so that we can have a digital tool to help the different parts of the government to come together and see exactly who is doing what they have agreed to and who is not. So that the leadership of this coordinating committee or the E-Commerce Committee or the Digital Transformation Committee can be called anything, but the point is that it’s clearly identified that we need to work together in order to make progress. Just having fantastic connectivity, for example, will not do the trick. Take the case of Rwanda, which has 97% 4G coverage of the population, a bit more than 20% of the people are using the internet, but less than 5% in the latest numbers, maybe it’s up to 10 now, but still very much lower, are buying things online. So it takes more and we need to have the different jigsaw pieces of the puzzle come together to really get the full impact from what digital can do. And that is one of the most challenging things for the government and for us as international organizations as well to work smoothly, so we also don’t end up in silos, just helping one ministry or one type of stakeholder. This is a big challenge.

Radka Sibille: Thank you. I think we have maybe time for one last question or one last comment. I don’t know if there are any anybody’s asking online. No. If not, then maybe let me just briefly wrap up. This was really an excellent discussion. Thank you so much to all the panelists. Thank you so much for the recommendations about the need for having the infrastructure in place, the skills, and also the policy framework. There was also the importance of having assessments to be done so that we know where we stand and where we want to go. We also heard about the need to go the extra mile to reach even the people who are not always the easiest ones to reach, the ones in rural areas, marginalized populations, sometimes also women entrepreneurs, small businesses. And finally, there was a strong call for cooperation, peer-to-peer experience. including among those MSMEs themselves, and also within our own UN family, and we are trying to do that, and we will do that even as we go to WSIS Beyond 20. So, thank you so much for this discussion and I’ll see you around during the WSIS week. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Agreement points

Postal systems serve as crucial infrastructure for digital inclusion, particularly in underserved areas

Speakers

– Kevin Hernandez
– Lakshmikanta Dash

Arguments

The global postal network with over 650,000 post offices is the most extensive service retail network, with majority located in rural areas

India Post’s 1,000 export promotion centers help women workforce in handicrafts access overseas markets

Post offices provide banking facilities and export promotion services to rural populations away from technical infrastructure

Summary

Both speakers emphasize the postal system’s unique position in reaching rural and underserved populations, providing essential digital and financial services where other infrastructure is lacking

Topics

Digital access | Inclusive finance | E-commerce and Digital Trade

Business support organizations and intermediary institutions need capacity building to effectively support digital transformation

Speakers

– Valentina Rollo
– Jason Slater

Arguments

Business support organizations need support themselves to develop digital transformation services for companies

Center of excellence approach with public-private partnerships has proven effective for sector-specific digital adoption

Summary

Both speakers recognize that intermediary organizations require strengthening and support to effectively facilitate digital transformation among small businesses

Topics

Capacity development | Digital business models

Government leadership and coordination is essential for successful digital transformation

Speakers

– Torbjorn Fredriksson
– Audience
– Lakshmikanta Dash

Arguments

Countries need careful analysis of current digital readiness before developing five-year digital economy plans

Governments should lead digital adoption by driving government services online and enhancing ease of doing business

India’s trinity of Jan Dhan (financial inclusion), Aadhaar (national identity), and mobile penetration has been key to promoting rural business

Summary

Multiple speakers agree that governments must take a leading role in digital transformation through strategic planning, service digitization, and coordinated policy implementation

Topics

Data governance | Digital access | Digital identities

Women’s participation in digital economy requires targeted support and specific interventions

Speakers

– Torbjorn Fredriksson
– Lakshmikanta Dash
– Radka Sibille

Arguments

Multi-stakeholder collaboration must include smaller firms, women-led businesses, and small businesses from developing countries

India Post’s 1,000 export promotion centers help women workforce in handicrafts access overseas markets

National Rural Livelihood Mission emphasizes women workforce prominence in various business transactions

Meaningful digital transformation requires going the extra mile to reach marginalized populations including rural areas, women entrepreneurs, and small businesses

Summary

Speakers consistently emphasize the need for deliberate efforts to include women in digital transformation initiatives, recognizing them as an underserved group requiring specific support mechanisms

Topics

Gender rights online | Digital business models | E-commerce and Digital Trade

Similar viewpoints

Both recognize the challenges small businesses face in digital adoption and the importance of peer-to-peer networks and collaborative approaches to overcome these barriers

Speakers

– Valentina Rollo
– Audience

Arguments

Cooperatives work well as first step for businesses to connect and share information about available support and programs

Over 96% of micro and small firms in Latin America don’t have a web page, indicating low adoption of mature technologies

Topics

Digital business models | Digital access

Both emphasize the critical importance of evidence-based approaches to digital transformation, starting with thorough assessments of current conditions before developing strategies

Speakers

– Torbjorn Fredriksson
– Radka Sibille

Arguments

Countries need careful analysis of current digital readiness before developing five-year digital economy plans

Assessments are crucial first steps to understand current digital readiness before developing transformation strategies

Topics

Digital access | Data governance

Both advocate for hybrid approaches that combine digital capabilities with human support and physical infrastructure to ensure inclusive access to digital services

Speakers

– Kevin Hernandez
– Jason Slater

Arguments

Posts provide services with human touch by integrating physical and digital channels to help underserved communities

Center of excellence approach with public-private partnerships has proven effective for sector-specific digital adoption

Topics

Digital access | Capacity development

Unexpected consensus

Postal services as digital transformation enablers

Speakers

– Kevin Hernandez
– Lakshmikanta Dash
– Radka Sibille

Arguments

71% of posts in 153 countries provide e-commerce services, 58% provide digital financial services, and 70% provide connectivity solutions

India Post’s 1,000 export promotion centers help women workforce in handicrafts access overseas markets

UN agencies need to work together on digital inclusion objectives to avoid silos and create actionable synergies

Explanation

The strong consensus on postal services as key digital inclusion infrastructure is unexpected given that postal systems are often viewed as traditional, analog services. The recognition of their digital transformation potential across multiple speakers suggests a paradigm shift in how postal infrastructure is perceived in the digital age

Topics

Digital access | E-commerce and Digital Trade | Inclusive finance

Need for sector-specific approaches to digital transformation

Speakers

– Valentina Rollo
– Jason Slater
– Audience

Arguments

Business support organizations need support themselves to develop digital transformation services for companies

Center of excellence approach with public-private partnerships has proven effective for sector-specific digital adoption

Over 96% of micro and small firms in Latin America don’t have a web page, indicating low adoption of mature technologies

Explanation

The consensus on sector-specific approaches rather than one-size-fits-all solutions is unexpected in a global policy forum where universal approaches are often preferred. This suggests a maturation in understanding of digital transformation complexity

Topics

Digital business models | Capacity development | Digital access

Overall assessment

Summary

Strong consensus emerged around the need for inclusive approaches to digital transformation, the importance of intermediary institutions, government leadership, and targeted support for underserved populations including women and rural communities

Consensus level

High level of consensus with complementary rather than conflicting viewpoints. The agreement suggests a mature understanding of digital inclusion challenges and the need for multi-stakeholder, coordinated approaches. This consensus has positive implications for policy implementation as it indicates alignment among key UN agencies and member states on fundamental principles and approaches to digital transformation.

Different viewpoints

Unexpected differences

Overall assessment

Summary

The discussion showed remarkably high consensus among speakers on fundamental principles of digital inclusion, with no direct disagreements identified. The main variations were in emphasis and approach rather than conflicting viewpoints.

Disagreement level

Very low disagreement level. All speakers aligned on core objectives of inclusive digital transformation, supporting SMEs, and reaching underserved populations. The few partial agreements reflected complementary rather than conflicting approaches, suggesting a mature consensus on digital inclusion strategies among UN agencies and member states. This high level of agreement facilitates coordinated implementation of both WSIS Action Line C7 and Global Digital Compact objectives.

Partial agreements

Similar viewpoints

Both recognize the challenges small businesses face in digital adoption and the importance of peer-to-peer networks and collaborative approaches to overcome these barriers

Speakers

– Valentina Rollo
– Audience

Arguments

Cooperatives work well as first step for businesses to connect and share information about available support and programs

Over 96% of micro and small firms in Latin America don’t have a web page, indicating low adoption of mature technologies

Topics

Digital business models | Digital access

Both emphasize the critical importance of evidence-based approaches to digital transformation, starting with thorough assessments of current conditions before developing strategies

Speakers

– Torbjorn Fredriksson
– Radka Sibille

Arguments

Countries need careful analysis of current digital readiness before developing five-year digital economy plans

Assessments are crucial first steps to understand current digital readiness before developing transformation strategies

Topics

Digital access | Data governance

Both advocate for hybrid approaches that combine digital capabilities with human support and physical infrastructure to ensure inclusive access to digital services

Speakers

– Kevin Hernandez
– Jason Slater

Arguments

Posts provide services with human touch by integrating physical and digital channels to help underserved communities

Center of excellence approach with public-private partnerships has proven effective for sector-specific digital adoption

Topics

Digital access | Capacity development

Key takeaways

Digital transformation significantly benefits small businesses, with expert users being 5x more likely to report growing sales and 12x more likely to see cost reductions compared to less advanced firms

Three critical enablers for digital readiness are infrastructure, skills, and digital regulatory frameworks – countries strong in these areas have double the share of expert digital users

The postal sector serves as a crucial bridge for digital inclusion, with 71% of posts in 153 countries providing e-commerce services and reaching underserved rural populations through human-touch service delivery

Women remain significantly underrepresented in digital entrepreneurship, with only 1 in 16 women owning established enterprises compared to 1 in 10 men, and only 17% of African tech startups having female co-founders

India’s trinity approach of financial inclusion (Jan Dhan), national identity (Aadhaar), and mobile penetration has successfully promoted rural business development and women’s workforce participation

The Global Digital Compact Objective 2 and WSIS Action Line C7 are moving from conceptual alignment to operational collaboration, with AI and digitalization potentially impacting 134 of 169 SDG targets positively

Scaling digital adoption requires sector-specific approaches, with cooperatives and business support organizations serving as effective intermediaries, though these organizations themselves need capacity building support

Effective digital economy governance requires breaking down silos between government ministries and establishing clear coordination mechanisms with defined responsibilities and monitoring tools

Resolutions and action items

UNIDO announced a call for action under Global Digital Compact Objective 2 to be launched on Thursday following the panel discussion

ITC’s SME Competitiveness Outlook report focusing on digital transformation to be launched on July 23rd in South Africa

UPU’s Digital Panorama Report on the post’s role in facilitating inclusive digital transformations is upcoming

UNCTAD to hold next E-Trade for Women masterclass in Philippines later in the year, with two masterclasses planned for Africa the following year

Panelists committed to supporting member states like Oman through collaborative assessments and technical assistance for digital economy planning

UN agencies agreed to continue breaking down silos and work together on WSIS Beyond 20 implementation and Global Digital Compact objectives

Unresolved issues

How to effectively scale up digital extension services and business support organizations to reach the 96% of micro and small firms in Latin America that lack basic web presence

Specific governance frameworks and monitoring mechanisms needed for countries developing digital economy strategies, particularly for small island developing states

Methods to ensure meaningful participation of small businesses, women-led enterprises, and developing country firms in global multi-stakeholder processes

Strategies to address the persistent gender gap in digital entrepreneurship and access to capital for women-led tech startups

How to balance the need for country-specific approaches with the desire for scalable, replicable solutions across different development contexts

Mechanisms to ensure business support organizations receive adequate capacity building to provide digital transformation services to their members

Suggested compromises

Step-by-step approach starting with cooperatives and sector associations before moving to more advanced business support organizations

Multi-track approach under Global Digital Compact that accommodates different levels of digital readiness and country contexts

Blended physical-digital service delivery model through postal networks to bridge digital divides while building digital capacity

Public-private partnership model for centers of excellence that brings together government support with private sector technology showcase and skills development

Coordinated UN agency approach that leverages different organizational strengths while avoiding duplication and working across traditional silos

We found that actually in digitally advanced countries, 60% of the firms are expert users. And this is three times more than in countries that are less digitally ready. And in low digitally ready countries, two and a half, large firms are two and a half times more likely to be expert users compared to small firms… What is interesting is the fact that these differences, these gaps almost disappear in countries that are actually digitally ready where the environment is conducive.

Speaker

Valentina Rollo

Reason

This comment is deeply insightful because it reveals a counterintuitive finding that challenges assumptions about digital divides. Rather than being an inherent characteristic of firm size or leadership, the digital gap is largely a function of the enabling environment. This reframes the problem from individual firm capacity to systemic policy issues.

Impact

This observation fundamentally shifted the discussion from focusing on individual business characteristics to emphasizing the critical role of government policy and infrastructure. It established the foundation for subsequent speakers to address policy frameworks, with Torbjörn later emphasizing the need for coordinated government action and Jason discussing the importance of creating enabling ecosystems.

The global postal network is likely the most extensive service retail network in the world. There are over 650,000 post offices and a majority of them are located in rural areas, specifically the places where people are least likely to engage in e-commerce activities… posts have been shown to be extremely inclusive of women, so women are significantly more likely to have postal bank accounts than men.

Speaker

Kevin Hernandez

Reason

This comment is thought-provoking because it reframes postal services from a traditional, potentially obsolete infrastructure to a cutting-edge solution for digital inclusion. The insight about women’s higher participation in postal banking services reveals an unexpected pathway to gender inclusion in the digital economy.

Impact

This comment introduced a completely new dimension to the discussion about digital inclusion infrastructure. It demonstrated how existing, traditional networks could be leveraged for modern digital challenges, influencing later discussions about the importance of building on existing assets rather than creating entirely new systems.

According to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, only one in 16 women own an established enterprise compared with one in every 10 men. In Africa, one survey found that only 17 percent of 2,600 tech startups had at least one female co-founder… If there are very few women that are advocating for changes that are good for women entrepreneurship, there will be few policy changes that are good for women entrepreneurship.

Speaker

Torbjörn Fredriksson

Reason

This comment is particularly insightful because it identifies a systemic feedback loop: the underrepresentation of women in digital entrepreneurship creates a policy advocacy gap, which perpetuates the very conditions that limit women’s participation. This circular causation insight goes beyond simple statistics to reveal structural barriers.

Impact

This observation elevated the discussion from addressing symptoms to understanding root causes of gender inequality in digital entrepreneurship. It influenced the conversation to focus on the need for deliberate intervention and representation, with Jason later emphasizing the importance of actively seeking out diverse voices in solution development.

17 percent of the SDGs of the 169 targets are currently on track. And around 59 of these could be negatively affected through data privacy, job displacement, carbon emissions, et cetera. However, AI digitalization can positively impact these around 134 of these targets.

Speaker

Jason Slater

Reason

This comment is thought-provoking because it quantifies both the risks and opportunities of digital transformation in relation to global development goals. It provides a stark reality check about current progress while simultaneously highlighting the transformative potential of digital technologies when properly implemented.

Impact

This statistical framing created urgency in the discussion and reinforced the importance of the panel’s work. It connected the technical discussions about digital inclusion to broader global development challenges, elevating the stakes and emphasizing why getting digital inclusion right is crucial for achieving the SDGs.

Over 96% of micro and small size firms in Latin America don’t even have a web page. So if that’s the level of adoption of mature technology such as internet, we can imagine what are the levels of adoption of emerging technologies such as AI and internet of things and others.

Speaker

Marco Llinás (ECLAC)

Reason

This comment is insightful because it provides a sobering reality check that challenges the assumption that businesses are ready for advanced digital solutions. It highlights the massive gap between policy discussions about AI and IoT and the basic digital reality facing most small businesses.

Impact

This intervention grounded the discussion in practical reality and shifted focus toward the fundamental challenge of scaling basic digital adoption. It prompted responses about the need for step-by-step approaches, business support organizations, and centers of excellence, making the conversation more concrete and actionable.

Overall assessment

These key comments fundamentally shaped the discussion by challenging assumptions and introducing systemic perspectives. Valentina’s insight about environmental factors reframed digital divides as policy problems rather than inherent business characteristics. Kevin’s postal network observation demonstrated how traditional infrastructure could address modern inclusion challenges. Torbjörn’s analysis of the women entrepreneurship feedback loop revealed structural barriers requiring deliberate intervention. Jason’s SDG statistics created urgency and elevated the stakes. Marco’s reality check about basic digital adoption grounded the discussion in practical challenges. Together, these comments moved the conversation from surface-level solutions to deeper structural analysis, emphasizing the need for coordinated, multi-stakeholder approaches that address both immediate practical needs and long-term systemic barriers to digital inclusion.

How can we scale up digital extension services to support firms in adopting technologies, particularly for the 96% of micro and small firms in Latin America that don’t even have a web page?

Speaker

Marco Llinás from ECLAC

Explanation

This addresses a critical gap in technology adoption among small businesses and the challenge of providing adequate support services at scale

What specific enablers, infrastructure, and policy elements should be included in Oman’s national digital economy plan for 2026-2030 to ensure inclusive digital economy?

Speaker

Ahmed from Oman

Explanation

This represents a practical need for guidance on developing comprehensive national digital economy strategies based on lessons learned and best practices

What forms of governance frameworks should be in place to determine whether countries are actually accomplishing their digital economy goals?

Speaker

Nigel Casimir from the Caribbean Telecommunications Union

Explanation

This addresses the need for measurement and accountability mechanisms in digital transformation initiatives

How can business support organizations be better supported to develop digital transformation services for the companies they serve?

Speaker

Valentina Rollo (ITC)

Explanation

This highlights the capacity gap among intermediary organizations that are crucial for supporting SME digital transformation

How can we better connect women digital entrepreneurs with policymakers at global, regional, and national levels to influence policy changes?

Speaker

Torbjörn Fredriksson (UNCTAD)

Explanation

This addresses the need for more systematic advocacy opportunities to ensure women’s voices are heard in digital economy policy development

How can we ensure that multi-stakeholder collaboration in WSIS includes smaller firms, women-led businesses, and small businesses from developing countries, not just the biggest firms?

Speaker

Torbjörn Fredriksson (UNCTAD)

Explanation

This highlights the need to make global governance processes more inclusive of underrepresented business voices

How can the UN system work together more effectively to create synergies between the Global Digital Compact and WSIS action lines while avoiding duplication?

Speaker

Torbjörn Fredriksson (UNCTAD) and Jason Slater (UNIDO)

Explanation

This addresses the operational challenge of coordinating multiple international frameworks and initiatives for maximum impact

What solutions exist for inclusive digital economy that can be promoted through the Global Digital Compact’s call for action under objective 2?

Speaker

Jason Slater (UNIDO)

Explanation

This represents an active solicitation for innovative approaches to digital inclusion that can be scaled and implemented