The Action Line C7 on E-business Beyond WSIS+20
International Trade Centre, Universal Postal Union, UN Trade and Development
Session 299
Advancing inclusive implementation and the Tunisian example
The session will use the case of Tunisia to show how the e-business action line can be implemented, highlighting how national stakeholders, development partners, and international agencies can collaborate to advance e-business in a developing country. The session will feature a keynote presentation by Mr. Khabbab Hadhri, Director of E-Commerce Development in the Ministry of Trade and Export Development, of the Republic of Tunisia.
The e-business action line co-facilitators will also discuss how future work in this area fits into the context of the WSIS+20 review, progress on the 2030 agenda for development, and the Global Digital Compact. How can the action line address emerging challenges of inclusion and sustainability in the evolving digital economy? How can action line implementation be fit for purpose? How can micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises in developing countries improve their participation and benefit from digital trade at the international, national, and local levels?
Khabbab Hadhri is Director of E-Commerce and Immaterial Economy Development at the Tunisian Ministry of Trade and Export Development, with over 20 years of experience in digital trade, e-commerce policy, and international cooperation.
He serves as Tunisia's National Focal Point for international digital trade projects and has collaborated with UNCTAD, the AfCFTA Secretariat, ITC, the World Bank, GIZ, and EBRD. He is recognized for his strong ability to mobilize stakeholders and coordinate complex multi-partner initiatives, his passion for advancing e-commerce, and his strategic drive for digital transformation.
A Computer Science Engineer, he holds two Master's degrees: in International e-Services and in E-Commerce and International Purchasing. He is also a university lecturer, international consultant, and trainer. He is fluent in Arabic and French, with intermediate English proficiency.
Radka Sibille is Coordinator of Digital Policies and Trade at the Universal Postal Union (UPU), supporting countries’ efforts to foster digital and trade inclusion through the wide postal infrastructure around the world. Ms. Sibille has extensive experience in international relations, diplomacy and digital issues, and held various positions in the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the European Union.
Mr. James Howe is Head of Digital, Markets and Connectivity at the International Trade Centre, a joint agency of the World Trade Organization and the United Nations. ITC’s mission is to enable small-business export success by connecting small and medium-sized enterprises in developing countries and transition economies to the global trading system. James and his team work to enable enterprises to activate their marketing strategies through branding, sales and marketing programmes and e-commerce.
Faicel Belaid is a Programme Management Officer at UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), specializing in the digital economy, e-commerce, and digital trade policy in developing countries. Since 2021, he has led eTrade Readiness Assessments and national e-commerce strategies across Africa. He previously served as an industrial development expert at UNIDO (2017–2020), promoting youth entrepreneurship in Tunisia, and as an economist at the Central Bank of Tunisia (2005–2014). He has held academic appointments at the University of Carthage (Tunisia) and the University of Jeddah (Saudi Arabia). Mr. Belaid holds a PhD in International Economics from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva and a PhD in Finance from the University of Tunis.
Scarlett Fondeur Gil is Economic Affairs Officer in the E-commerce and Digital Economy Branch, Division on Technology and Logistics, at UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) since 2003. The Branch analyzes digital economy trends and their implications for the participation of developing countries in international trade. She coordinates the UNCTAD Working Group on Measuring E-commerce and the Digital Economy, and contributes to the development of internationally comparable ICT statistics as part of the Steering Committee of the Partnership on Measuring ICT for Development. UNCTAD compiles data on the use of ICT by enterprises, on the ICT sector, on international trade in ICT goods, ICT services, and digitally-deliverable services; and is developing methodological guidance on measuring digital trade and e-commerce value.
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C7. ICT applications: benefits in all aspects of life — E-business
Developing countries will need support to manage the high speed and scale of the digital economy and to leverage it for development, including financing for digital economy projects. Digital cooperation and support in the means of implementation are needed to distribute the benefits of the digital economy more fairly, avoid widening digital divides, and achieve sustainable development.
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Goal 1: End poverty in all its forms everywhere
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Goal 2: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
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Goal 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
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Goal 8: Promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all
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Goal 9: Build resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialization and foster innovation
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Goal 17: Revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development
The WSIS Action Line C7 on e-business has been mapped to Sustainable Development Goals 1, 2, 5, 8, 9, and 17. In the goal to end poverty (Goal 1), e-business can improve the equal access of men and women to economic resources and e-commerce activities; it can facilitate remittances and mobile payments. In the fight against hunger (Goal 2), the use of ICT by rural enterprises can improve the productivity of small-scale food producers and help build local and export markets for their products. E-business can support gender equality (Goal 5) by empowering women's entrepreneurship through ICT and in the ICT sector. The e-business action line also supports economic growth through the ICT sector and offers opportunities for decent job creation (Goal 8), entrepreneurship, and the formalization of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises. E-business also facilitates access to financial services and market information (Goal 9), as well as to exports from least developed countries through e-commerce (Goal 17).
- Objective 1: Close all digital divides and accelerate progress across the Sustainable Development Goals
- Objective 2: Expand inclusion in and benefits from the digital economy for all
- Objective 4: Advance responsible, equitable and interoperable data governance approaches
- Objective 5: Enhance international governance of artificial intelligence for the benefit of humanity