Watch the video recording of the event; Download the Summary of Disscussion
April 30, 2025, New York – The United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC) and the Digital Cooperation Organization (DCO) successfully co-hosted a high-impact side event during the 4th Financing for Development Conference (FfD4) Preparatory Committee and ECOSOC Forum on Financing for Development. The strategic gathering brought together global leaders to explore how inclusive digital trade can serve as a catalyst for sustainable development.
The 75-minute session, held at UNOSSC’s New York headquarters, featured a distinguished panel of experts who addressed the urgent need to bridge digital divides that continue to fragment global trade opportunities. With 2.6 billion people still offline and 80% of SMEs in developing countries facing significant barriers to cross-border digital trade, the event highlighted practical solutions already making impact across the Global South.
“Digital trade is evolving rapidly and is expected to account for nearly 25% of world trade by 2030,” noted Mr. Zanofer Ismalebbe, Chief of Knowledge Management at UNOSSC, who moderated the event. He emphasized that while over 130 countries have developed national digital transformation strategies, the lack of interoperability threatens developing countries’ ability to fully participate in global trade.
The panel discussion showcased concrete examples of successful digital trade initiatives. Ms. Nshuti Mbabazi from the Better-than-Cash Alliance highlighted Africa’s pioneering role in mobile financial services and the groundbreaking AfCFTA Digital Trade Protocol, developed in just 18 months, which aims to create interoperable systems across 55 countries.
Ms. Aura Cifuentes from Co-Develop shared the success of the LAC Digital Citizen Initiative, which has connected digital IDs among Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil, with six additional countries now joining the initiative.
Ms. Priya Vora, CEO of Digital Impact Alliance, emphasized that successful digital cooperation fundamentally relies on building trust through transparency, peer learning, and robust data protection mechanism.
The Islamic Development Bank’s commitment of $250 million for 2025-2027 under its Digital Inclusion Strategy Program exemplifies the scale of investment needed. Mr. Amir Hamza highlighted the bank’s achievements, including training 150,000 women in e-commerce across OIC states, resulting in a 35% increase in women-led SME exports in Pakistan.
“The future of trade is no longer just simply exchanges of products; it is data-driven digital value chains,” emphasized Ms. Grace Wang, Trust Funds Director at UNOSSC, who outlined three key pathways for South-South cooperation: regional integration, value chain approaches, and capacity development.
The event built upon the February 2025 Statement of Intent between UNOSSC and DCO, which formalized their collaboration to advance digital inclusion through South-South and triangular cooperation. This partnership leverages DCO’s convening power and tools like the Digital Economy Navigator with UNOSSC’s expertise in facilitating knowledge exchange and capacity building across the Global South.
Hassan Nasser, DCO’s Special Envoy for Multilateral Affairs, positioned digital innovation as critically underfunded despite being essential for development, calling for digital economy to become a core pillar of global financing frameworks.
In closing remarks, Mr. Sameem Gaffar from DCO emphasized five key takeaways: the power of multi-stakeholder cooperation, the existence of scalable models, the need for financing innovation, digital trade as “a great equalizer,” and South-South cooperation as a catalyst for transformation.
“We must break down the tyranny of silos that threaten to divide our work—this is the essence of multilateral cooperation,” Gaffar concluded, calling on participants to transform insights into partnerships and investments as they advance toward FfD4.