By Kim Kampel
As digital trade reshapes the global economy, small states and least developed countries (LDCs) face both unprecedented opportunity and persistent structural challenges. Recognising this moment, the Geneva Commonwealth Small States Office (CSSO) successfully delivered its first-ever hybrid capacity-building course on Digital Trade and E-commerce policy, rules and governance frameworks, in collaboration with Diplo Foundation and the Geneva Internet Platform.
Delivered from 31 October to 12 December 2025, the course brought together 43 senior and technical officials from Commonwealth small states and LDCs across Africa, the Caribbean, and the Asia-Pacific. Demand exceeded expectations, underscoring the need for practical, policy-relevant support in navigating the rapidly evolving digital trade landscape.
Why digital trade capacity can’t wait
The acceleration of the digital economy since COVID-19 has transformed how countries trade, regulate, and compete. Yet, for many small and vulnerable economies, the digital divide remains stark, from limited connectivity and skills gaps to underdeveloped legal and regulatory frameworks.
Launching the course, representatives from the Commonwealth Secretariat and Diplo Foundation highlighted how cross-border e-commerce and digital trade can reduce geographic barriers, lower trading costs, and unlock diversification opportunities. For small states, digital connectivity and enhanced understanding of digital governance frameworks, is essential for access to the digital economy, enabling them to build their competitiveness, boost resilience and economic growth.
A learning model designed for small states
What set this course apart was its hybrid, flexible, interactive design and uniquely curated content. Participants engaged at their own pace, across different time zones, using Diplo’s advanced digital learning tools. This accessibility promoted long-term knowledge retention and institutional impact at scale.
The programme blended face-to-face sessions in Geneva with online engagement, combining technical inputs from Diplo and the Commonwealth Secretariat with expert contributions from UNCITRAL, the World Trade Organization, the Geneva Graduate Institute, and the University of Lucerne. Crucially, participants also shared national experiences, grounding global evolving governance frameworks in real-world, indigenous policy realities.
Turning complexity into practical policy insight
The course aimed to demystify complex digital trade rules and governance frameworks, from data governance and paperless trade to digital payments, cybersecurity and emerging technologies. Framed around new-generation digital trade agreements, the curriculum was carefully tailored to and anchored in the development realities and priorities of small states and LDCs.
Participants consistently highlighted the course’s practical value, noting how it strengthened their ability to engage confidently in policy formulation and international negotiations. Over 94 percent rated the course as “very useful”, and every respondent said they would recommend it to others.
What comes next
This initiative forms part of the CSSO Trade Adviser Project, Geneva, which supports small states in articulating and advancing their interests in the multilateral trading system. As digital trade governance continues to evolve, targeted, inclusive capacity-building will remain essential.
For Commonwealth small states and LDCs, building digital trade confidence is about shaping digital governance frameworks that work for their economies, today and tomorrow.
- Kim Kampel, Trade Negotiations and Emerging Trade Issues Adviser, Commonwealth Small States Office
