On October 4, 2018, the World Trade Organization held a high-level panel highlighting the potential of e-commerce as a driver for the growth and inclusion of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs).

The WTO Director-General, Roberto Azevêdo, led the debate, stressing that e-commerce provides a way to overcome obstacles to trade. The panel discussed the challenges facing MSMEs and Least Developed Countries (LDCs), as well as upgrading existing trade rules, among other issues.

This high-level panel was organized as part of the Enabling E-commerce initiative launched by the 11^th WTO Ministerial Conference in December 2017.

The WTO press release may be found here:

https://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news18_e/pf18_04oct18_e.htm