Digital Trade And WTO Accession: How Uzbekistan Can Leverage Digital Platforms For Global Trade Integration
Keywords:
Digitalization, WTO, Uzbekistan, Trade Integration, E-commerce, Regulation, SME, Data GovernanceAbstract
As Uzbekistan navigates its accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO), digital trade offers a transformative pathway to accelerate integration into the global economy. This thesis explores the strategic potential of digital platforms to enhance Uzbekistan’s trade facilitation, reduce entry barriers for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and align domestic regulations with international norms. Drawing from comparative case studies, policy analysis, and international best practices, it offers actionable recommendations for leveraging digitalization to position Uzbekistan as a globally competitive, digitally enabled trade actor. The study underscores the urgency of institutional reforms, digital infrastructure expansion, and multilateral cooperation to ensure inclusive and sustainable trade growth.
References
Aaronson, S.A. and Leblond, P. (2018) ‘Another Digital Divide: The Rise of Data Realms and its Implications for the WTO’, Journal of International Economic Law, 21(2), pp. 245–272. https://doi.org/10.1093/jiel/jgy019
Herman, P.R. and Oliver, S. (2023) ‘Trade, policy, and economic development in the digital economy’, Journal of Development Economics, 164, p. 103135. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdeveco.2023.103135
International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) (2019) E-commerce at the World Trade Organization: A development perspective. Available at: https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/e-commerce-world-trade-organization-.pdf
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) (n.d.) Online platforms – Value creation and users. Available at: https://goingdigital.oecd.org/en/indicator/73
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) (2021) Digital Economy Report 2021: Cross-border data flows and development – For whom the data flow. Available at: https://unctad.org/page/digital-economy-report-2021
World Bank (2024) The promise of services-led development: Uzbekistan country economic memorandum. Available at: https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/uzbekistan/publication/promise-of-services-led-growth
World Trade Organization (WTO) (2023) Why trade in digital services matters – especially for developing economies. Blog by Ralph Ossa, 15 December. Available at: https://www.wto.org/english/blogs_e/ce_ralph_ossa_e/blog_ro_15dec23_e.htm
