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Electronic Commerce Steering Group |
The amount of trade conducted electronically has grown exponentially and electronic commerce has transformed many industry sectors and the way in which business is done.
The Electronic Commerce Steering Group (ECSG) promotes the development and use of electronic commerce by creating legal, regulatory and policy environments in the APEC region that are predictable, transparent and consistent. It performs a coordinating role for APEC e-commerce activities, based on the principles set out in the 1998 APEC Blueprint for Action on Electronic Commerce.
The ECSG also explores how economies may best develop legal, regulatory and policy environments that are predictable, transparent and optimised to enable economies across all levels of development to utilise Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) to drive economic growth and societal benefit.
The ECSG recognises the importance of public-private collaboration in developing an environment conducive to e-commerce and encourages the active participation and contribution of the private sector to its meetings and activities. Reports presented by guest organisations to the group, including the Global Business Dialogue on Electronic Commerce, the International Chamber of Commerce, the Pan Asian Alliance on E-Commerce, the United Nations Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business, and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development are a welcome contribution to the ECSG.
Originally established in 1999 as an APEC Senior Official's Special Task Force, the ECSG was aligned to the Committee on Trade and Investment (CTI) in 2007. This alignment enhances the coordinating capacity of the ECSG by ensuring a stronger focus on trade and investment issues.
Achievements
APEC e-Trade and Supply Chain Management Training Course (Hainan, China, November 2008). The course introduced best practices in e-trade and models of supply chain management for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in developing economies. The first phase focused on logistics, customs clearance, single-window system and best practices in e-trade. The second phase included modules on capital and credit management in international trade, fundamentals of supply chain management for SMEs, e-documents in supply chain management, forms of export credit insurance, guarantee methods and formalities for trade finance in credit insurance. The course benefitted officials and policy makers engaged in finance, international trade and supply chain management. The SMEs learned about trade finance methods that meet their specific needs and how to speed up capital turnover and reduce transaction costs through the use of e-documents.
APEC e-Trade Hub Reference Model Design and Development (Beijing, China, November 2008). The project examined regional systems for trans-border e-trade such as: China's paperless trading digital bridge and e-port; Korea's u-Trade Hub; Hong Kong, China's single window initiatives; and Russia's B2B-energo. A number of models and architectures developed by the United Nations Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business (UN/CEFACT) and the World Customs Organisation (WCO) were also studied. The project identified components of an e-commerce system, a comprehensive integration and application platform that supports major business processes and the use of the UN/CEFACT integrated framework of standards for paperless trade as elements for an e-trade hub reference model. The objective of a reference model is to facilitate the implementation of a service-oriented architecture for e-trade and to provide guidelines for outsourcing of different e-trade functions within the APEC region.
Seminar to Advance & Promote APEC Work on E-Invoicing Framework (Lima, Peru, August 2008). The seminar analysed existing standards in the adoption of cross-border e-invoicing. Drawing from the experiences of Peru, Mexico and Chile, legal and regulatory issues pertaining to electronic signatures were explored. Korea and Peru introduced key features of electronic invoicing in a paperless trade environment and proposed a set of guidelines. The seminar also endeavoured to identify possible standards and make recommendations for the use of electronic invoices across APEC member economies. The perspectives of Chile, Mexico, Peru, Philippines, Russia and Vietnam in e-invoicing, were considered in terms of best practices in a paperless trading environment. Experiences were also shared by private sector entities: TradeVan (Chinese Taipei), Quadrem (Chile) and ASSENDA (Peru). The seminar was for businesses and economies currently developing or considering the introduction of an electronic invoice system.
Seminars on Data Privacy in APEC - The APEC Data Privacy Pathfinder is a set of collaborative projects undertaken by APEC economies to develop and test the essential practical elements of a system that would enable accountable cross-border data flows under the guidance of the APEC principles.
Enhancing Privacy in Global Transactions (Lima, Peru, August 2008). The seminar discussed data privacy pathfinder projects with specific regard to the role of the consumer and regulatory and business issues. Corporate Social Responsibility was also explored in relation to data privacy and Hewlett-Packard and Ericsson were considered as case studies. The seminar was undertaken to build the capacity of all economies to participate in the development and implementation of a cross-border privacy rule (CBPR) system, and included those economies which already have domestic privacy laws or regulators.
Implementation of the APEC Privacy Pathfinder (Singapore, February and July 2009): Two seminars were held in February and July focusing on implementing the APEC Privacy Pathfinder. The seminars discussed areas such as developments in addressing cross-border privacy issues, trust marks, governance issues, accountability and privacy as well as regulatory models. Participants also engaged in discussions focusing on the review of project documents to identify and discuss key issues, development, testing and implementation of the Data Privacy Pathfinder CBPR projects, including the outcomes and lessons from testing the system elements.
Current Activities
The 20th ECSG meeting was held in Singapore from 28-30 July 2009. The meeting discussed the Data Privacy and Paperless Trading Subgroup's workplans for 2010, the APEC Digital Prosperity Checklist, APEC's Second Trade Facilitation Action Plan (TFAP II), progress on paperless trading, and the data privacy pathfinder, electronic certificates of origin, electronic invoicing, business requirements for data harmonisation and single window, best practices in e-government procurement, e-documents and e-trade financing.
An element of the ECSG's work is to work cooperatively with the private sector in implementing the Digital Prosperity Checklist which outlines specific steps economies can take to enable an economy to utilise ICTs as catalysts for growth and development. In so doing, the ECSG is building on its current work streams and projects, including data privacy and paperless trading, which are key elements of ICT-enabled growth. The first Seminar on the implementation of the Digital Prosperity Checklist was conducted on 26 July 2009 in Singapore. It provided an opportunity to exchange information and learn about using networked ICT to stimulate growth and prosperity. A second initiative focusing on the concept of Global Value Chains is also being planned for 2010. The implementation of the Checklist will be a significant contribution to the digital economy agenda.
Data Privacy
The APEC Privacy Framework aims to promote a consistent approach to information privacy protection, to avoid the creation of unnecessary barriers to information flows and to remove impediments to trade across APEC member economies. The Framework provides technical assistance to APEC economies that have not addressed privacy from a regulatory or policy perspective.
Progress on the implementation of the APEC Privacy Framework includes the application of Information Privacy Individual Action Plans by 14 economies, and the creation of a study group within the Data Privacy Sub-Group (DPS) to analyse and identify best practices and the role of trust-marks in promoting the cross-border flow of information.
The Data Privacy Sub-group (DPS) is guided by the APEC Data Privacy Pathfinder Projects Implementation Work Plan. The Pathfinder outlines projects that progress the implementation of the APEC Privacy Framework and its aim is to promote consumer trust and business confidence in cross-border data flows.
The DPS is also discussing and exchanging information with the OECD and other international organisations involved in data privacy protection in order to develop common approaches globally and to facilitate member economies' adoption of a common (domestic and international) approach to data privacy protection.
Paperless trading
The ECSG's Paperless Trading Subgroup is developing projects on the use of paperless trading in commercial processes involving business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-government (B2G) transactions, and promoting the use of electronic documents and internet technologies in international trade.
These projects aim at using "e-solutions" or electronic procedures and processes in cross-border trade in order to save time and costs for firms and government agencies seeking regulatory compliance information from traders.
Areas covered by these projects include: electronic certificates of origin, electronic invoicing, business requirements for data harmonisation and single window, best practices in paperless trading, archiving of e-documents and e-trade financing.
Work is underway to implement APEC's Strategies and Actions Toward a Cross-Border Paperless Trading Environment to enable the electronic transmission of trade-related information across the region by 2020.
Eighteen economies have submitted Individual Action Plans outlining progress made "to reduce or eliminate the requirement for paper documents needed for customs and other cross-border trade administration and other documents and messages relevant to international sea, air and land transport" as set out in the APEC Blueprint for Action on E-Commerce.
Electronic Commerce Steering Group (ECSG) - Key Contacts
ECSG Chair
Mr. Richard Bourassa
Director, International Policy
Electronic Commerce Branch
Industry Canada
300 Slater Street
Ottawa, ON K1A0C8 Canada
E-mail: bourassa.richard@ic.gc.ca
Tel: 1-613-991-0028
Fax: 1-613-946-7566
Data Privacy Sub-group Chair
Mr. Colin Minihan
Senior Advisor
Privacy and FOI Policy Branch
Government Division
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
Australia
E-mail: colin.minihan@pmc.gov.au
Tel: 61-2-6271-5142
Fax: 61-2-6271-5542
Paperless Trading Sub-group Chair
Mr. Monchito B. Ibrahim
Commissioner
Commission on Information & Communications Technology
CICT-NCC Building, Carlos P. Garcia Avenue
Diliman 1101, Quezon City
Philippines
E-mail: mon.ibrahim@cict.gov.ph
Tel: (632) 435 4110
APEC Secretariat
Ms Zaireen Omar
Director (Program)
E-mail: zo@apec.org
Revised on: 21 October 2009