The 13th Session of the APCICT Governing Council will be held on 31 August 2018 in Bangkok, in conjunction with the Second Session of the ESCAP Committee on Information and Communications Technology, Science, Technology and Innovation (CICTSTI) taking place on 29-31 August 2018.

This Committee is designed to act as the Asia-Pacific region’s pre-eminent intergovernmental platform on information and communications technology (ICT) and science, technology and innovation (STI) policy. This Committee session will address key challenges and opportunities for Asia-Pacific economies in the areas of: frontier technology; inclusive technology and innovation development, technology and trade; the integration of ICT-related issues in development policies; space applications; technology transfer; and capacity-building on ICT.

E-commerce can lower entry barriers to markets and reduce transaction costs in doing businesses, and therefore, facilitate business and trade and lead to further economic growth and additional job creation. To realize the potential growth of e-commerce and cross-border e-commerce, governments need to implement more proactive policy measures. Additionally, multilateral organizations and the private sector should cooperate in fostering conducive environments. ADB and ESCAP support various activities and initiatives to promote e-commerce in Asia and the Pacific.