SERV23-2

Digital technologies have made it increasingly feasible for buyers and sellers to place and receive orders on a global scale. They also enable the instantaneous remote delivery of services directly into businesses and homes. Although international trade statistics should, in principle, cover digital trade, compilers face considerable measurement challenges. The involvement of digital intermediation platforms (DIPs) compounds those difficulties. In 2023, the IMF, the OECD, UNCTAD, and the WTO have published the second edition of the Handbook on Measuring Digital Trade, which provides the foundation for measuring digital trade in an internationally comparable way and forms the basis for this workshop. Training will be provided by the four partner organizations as well as national experts. The workshop will also provide an overview of the ongoing revision of the IMF Balance of Payments Manual, of the international trade statistics manuals, and progress in Arab countries in compiling trade in services statistics for services which can be digitally delivered. The activity will benefit from close cooperation with UNESCWA, contributions from UNSD.