Geneva, 8 December 2023: A delegation from ERIA led by Koji Hachiyama, ERIA’s Chief Operating Officer, participated in multiple sessions throughout the 2023 eWeek organised by the United Nations Conference for Trade and Development (UNCTAD) from 4 to 8 December. ERIA serves as a partner of the UNCTAD-led initiative eTradeforAll, a global platform aimed at advancing inclusive digital economies worldwide.

COO Hachiyama took part in a high-level session, the ‘eTradeforAll Leadership Roundtable: Unlocking Digital Trade for Inclusive Development’. The session commenced with an opening address by UNCTAD’s Secretary General Rebeca Grynspan, emphasising the potency of digital trade and the broader digital economy for sustainable and inclusive economic development. However, she also highlighted the challenge of narrowing digital divides. The panel comprised senior representatives from the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), the World Trade Organization (WTO), the International Labour Organization (ILO), and the International Trade Centre (ITC). 

COO Hachiyama discussed the importance of digital trade and the digital economy for ASEAN and East Asia. He also introduced the new ERIA Digital Innovation and Sustainable Economy Centre (E-DISC), underscoring the substantial contribution that ASEAN and East Asian startups are making to the digital economy of the Indo-Pacific.

Dr Giulia Ajmone Marsan, ERIA’s Director for Strategy and Partnership, participated in various sessions of the eWeek. She moderated the roundtable ‘Cross-Border Data Flows: Harmonizing Trust Through Interoperability Mechanisms’ organised by the Digital Cooperation Organisation (DCO). Speakers included representatives from the DCO, Cisco, the Datasphere Initiative, and the American College of Cardiology. Dr Ajmone Marsan also hosted a virtual session on Startup20, the G20 engagement group dedicated to innovation and startup ecosystems, where she co-chaired the Inclusion Task Force under India’s Presidency in 2023.