Trade in services has been of special interest to both India and the EU as services are a major contributor to GDP and trade flows in the two economies. Steadily rising services trade between India and the EU is, however, characterized by certain peculiarities, which are worth noticing. These include differences across sub-sectors, trading partners, modes of trade and regulatory barriers. These make it worth exploring the potential costs and benefits of increasing trade flows through trade agreements even further while also diversifying the sub-sectors and the destination countries.

The integration of digital technology into healthcare systems holds promise for improving services in developing countries, especially in remote and underserved regions. However, different types of challenges can impede the implementation and sustainability of digital health initiatives. Technical issues in remote areas, political instability leading to policy-related challenges, and inadequate government support are obstacles to progress. Regulatory barriers can create challenges for the effective implementation of digital health interventions.

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the adoption of digital health (DH) interventions in the Asia Pacific. This is evidenced in the 2022 Global Digital Health Monitor, with 58% of ESCAP members scoring 4 or higher, countries like Australia, Malaysia, PR China, and Thailand lead in DH categories. It is critical that countries establish national DH strategies that integrate goals and resources in digital health. The integration of national DH strategies into overall health policies faces challenges in regulation, implementation, and enforcement in the Asia Pacific, including LMICs.

This paper examines the role of digital trade policy in promoting sustainable development. It starts from the conceptual framework of digital trade, as well as the interplay between digital transformation and the roles of trade and investment as means to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This is supported by examination of the growth in digital trade, with special attention to Developing Countries (DCs) and Least Developed Countries (LDCs), and broad inferences regarding the implications for more inclusive and sustainable development.

Sri Lanka's development strategy has long emphasized enhancing trade competitiveness, with agriculture playing a significant role in its economy. This study addresses the critical yet often overlooked issue of food losses at the country's borders, which undermine its trade competitiveness. From 2016 to 2020, agricultural exports comprised about a quarter of Sri Lanka's total exports, while food imports accounted for around 13% of total imports. The research investigates the magnitude and causes of these border food losses and proposes strategies to mitigate them.

Rules on digital trade are rapidly taking shape as countries in Asia-Pacific and beyond strive to secure the benefits associated with e-commerce and the digitalization of trade in goods and services. At the multilateral level, the WTO holds promise to reach a plurilateral agreement on core e-commerce issues by the end of 2023. Although far-reaching outcome seems unlikely, e-commerce rules agreed in the WTO will potentially serve as baseline commitments on cooperation in digital trade.

The global food supply chain experiences a loss of approximately one-third of the food produced, making food loss in international trade a significant threat to food and nutrition security and economic loss. Bangladesh, a major producer of vegetables and fruits, faces constraints such as post-harvest management, inadequate transportation and storage facilities, limited access to quality seeds, and stringent quality standards imposed by importing countries. The country also faces non-tariff measures and other obstacles to trade, with the agri-food products sector being the most affected.

Timely and equitable access to vaccines and other health technologies is vital in effectively responding to pandemics and treating other communicable diseases. This paper shows how countries might overcome real or purported intellectual property (IP) barriers to regional COVID-19 vaccine production. In particular, it examines how countries can utilise IP flexibilities to increase and diversify the manufacture and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines.

Trade misinvoicing occurs when price, quantity or description of internationally traded goods is purposefully misrepresented for pecuniary gain. It is one type of illicit financial flows (IFFs), and combating IFFs has been explicitly included in the Sustainable Development Goals. Most literature on the topic so far focused on understanding and estimating misinvoicing. This study examines whether, as previously hypothesised, digital trade facilitation, in particular cross-border trade data exchange, can help in addressing misinvoicing.

There have been many important innovations in the landscape of vaccine development for neglected and emerging infectious diseases, such as the launch of public-private product development partnerships (PDPs). However, there is still a gap in funding the development of such vaccines, especially when it comes to financing late-stage trials. There is a financial risk in investing in late-stage trials, and there is no guarantee of a commercial market, particularly for the most neglected diseases of poverty.