Come As You Are: A Vision of Accessible, Inclusive Digital Trade

Despite the Global South experiencing strong economic growth in recent years, it has been unable to bridge the gap to the Global North. A key driver of economic growth remains global trade, which is increasingly digitalising. This presents both an opportunity and a risk for developing economies, who may benefit from the adoption of digital standards to facilitate trade, but risk being further left behind should the digital divide widen. 
 
While the resource-rich Global South may benefit from demand for raw materials to fuel the AI revolution, the ability of the Global South to reap the benefits of AI solutions and investment remains limited due to poor infrastructure on the ground. Already, the Global South has started to respond to the challenges of developed-economy led standards and practices, increasing trade between peers even as they invest in digitisation, with 25% of global trade in goods being South-South while 21% is South-North. 
 
How might systems adapt to offer the Global South the opportunity to keep up as trade adapts to new practices driven by technology developments? What can the Global South do to secure sustainable success?
 
This roundtable considers different models for convergence that respect individual economy needs and readiness, allowing for growth even as they transform.