The Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) has announced a substantial contribution of 4 million Swiss francs (CHF) to UN Trade and Development’s (UNCTAD) E-commerce and the Digital Economy Programme.
This renewed commitment will secure funding for the Programme during the 2025-2029 tenure, significantly boosting its capacity to support developing nations in harnessing the benefits of digitalization.
The contribution was formalized in an agreement announced by Monica Rubiolo, SECO Head of Trade Promotion, alongside UN Trade and Development Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan. The announcement took place today during the 16th session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD16) at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.
The new funds are earmarked to enhance the Programme’s capacity for delivering innovative research, expanding technical cooperation, and fostering crucial intergovernmental consensus on digital policy matters.
“Switzerland underscores its support for an environmentally sustainable digital economy and for strengthening the multilateral digital trading system,” said SECO Head of Trade Promotion Monica Rubiolo.
UNCTAD Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan expressed her gratitude, stating, “We are proud to have Switzerland support the E-commerce and Digital Economy Programme as one of its core donors. We look forward to continuing to work together to reduce inequalities, enable the benefits of digitalization to reach all people, and ensure that no one is left behind in the fast-evolving digital economy.”
This commitment builds on a robust, years-long partnership between UN Trade and Development and SECO. Since 2021, their collaboration has successfully assisted developing countries, including Ghana, Peru, and Tunisia, in assessing their e-trade readiness and implementing essential policy reforms.
The partnership also informs the global agenda on critical issues such as data governance for development and advancing women’s digital entrepreneurship. Furthermore, the collaboration reinforces the role of UNCTAD eWeek—inaugurated in Geneva in 2023—as a recognized global hub for digital economy policy debates.
The UN Trade and Development E-commerce and the Digital Economy Programme provides comprehensive support to Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and developing economies through eTrade readiness assessments, e-commerce strategy development, and initiatives like eTrade for Women and eTrade for all.
