A data-driven Future for Trade Governance and Sustainable Development

Short summary:

• For digital technology to assist governments in meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), public service models require access to quality, timely, sources of data.
• Traditionally, data in the form of outcomes, or statistics, has been used to inform and target policies, but greater utility may come from using data as an input.
• Because trade governance involves negotiation, formulation and enforcement of rules by different institutions, robust data ecosystems increase the potential for digital automation and improved service delivery.
• With the proliferation of cross-border electronic commerce, the developmental returns from trade are largely dependent on the future of data.