Commonwealth, ILO join partnership for inclusive e-com

10 Jul '20

2 min read

Pic: Shutterstock

The global ‘eTrade for All’ initiative, which aims at making digital economy more inclusive, recently welcomed the Commonwealth Secretariat and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) to its fold, increasing its membership to 32 organisations. The partnership, marking its fourth anniversary this month, has become even more important in light of the pandemic.

E-commerce is expected to be at the vanguard of the recovery efforts as the world moves farther online, according to a press release from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

“Without our collective efforts, there is a real risk that many individuals, businesses and even countries may be left behind by digitalization and excluded from participating effectively in the digital economy,” said chief of the Commonwealth Secretariat Patricia Scotland.

ILO is actively engaged in the debates on the digital economy and identifying knowledge gaps related to digital skills, working conditions and social protection.

“We’re excited to join the partnership and look forward to making an important contribution to it,” said Vic van Vuuren, ILO director of enterprises. “E-commerce is a futuristic catalyst for economic growth, reducing the social deficit and caring for the planet whilst entrenching a decent work agenda,” he said.

UNCTAD secretary general Mukhisa Kituyi commended the partnership for its strong commitment to ensuring no one is left behind in the digital economy despite the vagaries of the global landscape. The partnership and its spin-off activities received funds in 2019 and 2020 from Australia, Estonia, Finland, Germany, the Republic of Korea, the Netherlands, Sweden, the Enhanced Integrated Framework and the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)

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