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 Issues covered by the WTO’s committees and agreements

 Electronic commerce

WTO members are exploring how electronic commerce should be dealt with in the context of the Uruguay Round Agreements and the WTO, within a work programme established by the WTO General Council on September 25, 1998.

See also:Click for Doha Development Agenda gateway
 > The Doha mandate
> The Doha mandate explained
> Hong Kong Ministerial Declaration

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> Guide to downloading files

See also:
> ITC magazine: putting e-commerce to work in developing countries
Introduction back to top

What is electronic commerce in the WTO?
An introduction (This link goes to a briefing note on electronic commerce).
Electronic commerce: cross-cutting and new issues
Link to the electronic commerce section of the WTO Guide “Understanding the WTO”.
  
> Video on electronic commerce and the WTO

  

Mandate for work on electronic commerce back to top

Click for Doha Development Agenda gatewayDoha Ministerial Declaration, November 14, 2001, item 34

  

Ministerial Declaration from WTO Ministerial meeting, Geneva, May, 1998 on Electronic Commerce
  
Hong Kong Ministerial Declaration

Geneva Ministerial Decision 2009

  
  
Work on electronic commerce back to top

The WTO work programme on electronic commerce
was adopted by the General Council on 25 September 1998. Under this programme issues related to electronic commerce are being examined by the Goods, Services and TRIPS (intellectual property) Councils, and the Trade and Development Committee.

See below for progress reports to the General Council on work accomplished by these WTO bodies under the electronic commerce work programme.

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  • General Council documents (Document code “varies”)    > search
  • Reports of the Goods Council (Document code “varies”)    > search
  • Reports of the Services Council (Document code “varies”)    > search
  • Reports of the TRIPS (intellectual property) Council (Document code “varies”)    > search
  • Background Note by Secretariat, 1999 (intellectual property)    > IP/C/W/128
     
  • Reports of the Trade and Development Committee (Document code “varies”)    > search
  • Background Notes by the WTO Secretariat (Document code “varies”) > search

CTD annual reports includes a progress report on e-commerce

     
  
Members’ proposals on electronic commerce back to top

WTO Members have also presented their proposals concerning the WTO's work on electronic commerce to the following WTO Bodies:

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  • Communications to the General Council (Document code “varies”)    > search    > help
  • Communications to the Goods Council (Document code G/C/W/* and keyword “Communication and Electronic Commerce”)    > search    > help
  • Communications to the TRIPS (intellectual property) Council (Document code IP/C/W* and keyword “Communication or Submission and Electronic Commerce”)    > search    > help
  • Communications to the Trade and Development Committee (Document code WT/COMTD/* and keyword “Electronic Commerce and Communication or Submission”)    > search    > help
  • Communications — services Council > S/C/W/338

You can perform more sophisticated searches from the Documents Online search facility (opens in new window) by defining multiple search criteria such as document symbol (i.e. code number), full text search or document date.

  
  
Other WTO electronic commerce activities back to top

  

WTO publications on electronic commerce back to top