Digital economy in Small Island Developing States (SIDS)
Past project
Digital economy in Small Island Developing States (SIDS)
TrainForTrade blended learning strategy to boost the digital economy in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) of Africa, the Caribbean and Asia and the Pacific was a project that strengthened the capacities of SIDS to adopt trade policies that foster digital economy development and enhance crisis responsiveness. It developed the skills and knowledge with innovative approaches based on a recognized blended learning method and state-of-the-art technological solutions. The project covered 38 Small Island Development States in 2022, 39 SIDS as of 2023.
The project was structured into three different components:
- Legal aspects of e-commerce
- Digital identity for trade and development
- Statistics on the digital economy, e-commerce, and digital trade
The project had two expected outcomes:
- Enhance understanding by key actors from beneficiary countries on the legal and practical aspects of the digital economy
- Strengthen the capacities of policymakers of beneficiary countries in designing digital economy policies to promote new digital services and develop digital authentication methods
Between February 2023 and July 2025, TrainForTrade’s three courses engaged 920 participants across 58 countries. Sixty percent of the participants were women. The overall satisfaction rate was 87%. Participants contributed 1212 messages to the discussion forum.
Participants in the project’s courses suggested insightful strategies to address current challenges and boost their countries’ digital economies. These ideas were transformed into policy recommendations to strengthen the digital economy in Small Island Developing States. These recommendations are presented in the Technical Cooperation Outcome (pages 9–12).
The project was implemented in collaboration with the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA)/ the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD), the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), the United Nations Resident Coordinator System, and the World Trade Organization (WTO).
This project was financed by the United Nations Development Account Tranche 14. Code: 2225F