This course aims to assist permanent missions and international organisations in Geneva to deal with fast emerging digital commerce issues. It provides an interdisciplinary coverage of e-commerce, from both digital and trade perspectives. The course is delivered by the Geneva Internet Platform (GIP), in partnership with the International Trade Centre (ITC), the Consumer Unity & Trust Society (CUTS International), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), and DiploFoundation.

The course will benefit diplomats who follow digital commerce negotiations on the multilateral and bilateral levels and other professionals in the field of trade. While improving their knowledge on e-commerce, participants will also gain the practical skills and information required to discuss specific digital policy issues, such as cross-border data flows, data localisation, cybersecurity, consumer protection, and the implication of emerging technologies  to digital commerce, such as algorithms, the Internet of Things, and 3D printing. The course will focus on e-commerce negotiations and policy processes that are currently taking place in International Geneva.

Due to the blended learning course format which includes weekly face-to-face meetings, registration for this session of the Digital Commerce course is open only to applicants based in Geneva.

Course topics

Digital commerce and development will be the transversal theme of the course, covered horizontally throughout all modules. The five course modules are:  

• Internet functionality and online business models: The flow of data and money in cyberspace

• Digital COMMERCE: issues, negotiations, and agreements

  • Regional and bilateral processes

  • Negotiations at the World Trade Organization

• Digital ECONOMY: Economic policy issues of relevance for digital commerce

  • Taxation

  • Virtual currencies in online transactions

  • Consumer protection and enhancing trust

• Digital SOCIETY: digital policy issues of relevance for trade and development

  • Cybersecurity

  • Privacy, cross-border data flows, and data localisation

  • Intermediary liability

  • Digital aspects included in the Sustainable Development Goals

• Emerging digital commerce issues: the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence and big data, codes and algorithms

The course will be of interest to:

• Geneva-based diplomats who follow digital commerce negotiations on the multilateral and bilateral levels; and
• Other Geneva-based professionals in the field of trade and commerce.

The course runs from 26 April to 31 May 2017, using a blended learning methodology which combines dynamic exchanges in an online classroom with lunchtime learning sessions at the Geneva Internet Platform office.

Throughout each course week, participants will interact in the online classroom. The weekly discussion will continue during group meetings, scheduled every Wednesday from 13:00 to 14:00 CET. During the informal lunch, the teaching team will clarify pending issues from the week’s online interaction, and discuss ongoing policy processes with participants. The first face-to-face meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, 26th April.

Participants who complete the course successfully will receive a course certificate.

Applicants for this course must be based in Geneva. They should have basic knowledge of trade and commerce negotiations.

The course fee is CHF 1000. A limited number of scholarships for participants from developing countries will be provided by the organisers of the course. All requests for scholarships will be handled by the GIP.