WTO and OIF Report Highlights Digital Trade's Growth Potential

Titled Digital Trade and Regulatory Frameworks: Drivers of Inclusive Growth, the report draws on research from five WTO Chairs Programme institutions representing Benin, Cameroon, Kenya, Morocco, and Mauritius.

The World Trade Organization (WTO) and the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) have released a new joint report highlighting how digital trade is reshaping the global economy and why effective regulations are essential to ensure its benefits reach everyone.

Published on 2 July, the report examines how well-designed regulatory frameworks can encourage innovation, expand economic opportunities, and support more inclusive growth while addressing the widening digital divide between countries. It also explores the challenges created by the rapid digitalisation of trade and the importance of helping developing economies participate more fully in the digital marketplace.

Research showcases experiences from five African countries

Titled Digital Trade and Regulatory Frameworks: Drivers of Inclusive Growth, the report draws on research from five WTO Chairs Programme institutions representing Benin, Cameroon, Kenya, Morocco, and Mauritius. It was launched during the WTO Chairs Programme Annual Conference, held from 1 to 3 July 2026.

The study stresses that governments, businesses, and other stakeholders all have an important role in creating a coherent regulatory environment that supports innovation, encourages international cooperation, and allows countries to benefit from the expanding digital economy.

WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said the publication marks the first joint report produced by the WTO Secretariat and the OIF, strengthening cooperation between the two organisations following the Memorandum of Understanding they signed in 2023. She said the report demonstrates how effective regulation and targeted reforms can improve trade integration while also warning against the risks created by an increasingly fragmented digital landscape.

Closing the digital divide remains a priority

Speaking on behalf of OIF Secretary-General Louise Mushikiwabo, the organisation's Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva, Henri Monceau, described digital trade as one of the strongest drivers of global economic growth, transforming production, trade, value chains, and access to international markets. He said the report encourages countries to better connect trade, technology, and regulatory policies as they advance their digital transformation.

Cameroon's Ambassador and co-coordinator of the Francophone Ambassadors Group, Salomon Eheth, said developing countries will need stronger technical capabilities and improved digital infrastructure to fully benefit from digital trade. He emphasised that investment in digital connectivity, capacity building, and international cooperation through knowledge sharing will be essential to narrowing the digital divide and ensuring all countries can participate in the opportunities created by the digital economy.