Digitalization is rapidly transforming the services sector, opening new avenues for export diversification, especially for small and landlocked developing economies.

Successful digitalization strategies require not only investment in information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure, software and digital literacy but also a supportive legal, regulatory and institutional enabling environment for digitally-enabling and -enabled services.

Technical assistance for all these areas is being provided by international organizations to help economies narrow the digital divide, improve the digital regulatory environment, strengthen their participation in digital trade negotiations, increase their participation in digitally delivered services and, as a result, increase diversification.    

Capacity-building activities

WTO and World Bank

• Under the Trade in Services for Development workstreams, the World Bank and the WTO, in collaboration with other organizations, are preparing a study on best practices in services export promotion strategies in developing economies. Based on country case studies in various services, including digitally delivered services, the study aims to provide a basis for developing economies to take advantage of opportunities for diversification that services exports can offer.
• The WTO Secretariat, as part of its Biennial Technical Assistance and Training Plan, provides technical assistance and capacity building on digital trade. Since 2019, over 600 participants from across the world have benefited from technical assistance and capacity-building workshops on digital trade and e-commerce at national, regional and global levels offered by the WTO's Institute for Training and Technical Cooperation (ITTC).  
• Capacity building is also provided through the WTO e-Learning platform, which includes courses focused on digital trade. In addition, the Trade4MSMEs platform provides practical guides for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), including resources on cybersecurity, e-commerce readiness, and standards for paperless trade, supporting MSMEs and policymakers on digital trade issues.
• The WTO Secretariat and the World Bank have joined forces on the Digital Trade for Africa project, which supports African countries in capitalizing on digital trade opportunities. During the pilot phase, in-depth visits were conducted to six African countries (Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria and Rwanda), resulting in comprehensive reports on digital trade readiness.
• The World Bank leads the development and implementation of the Digital Trade Regulation Readiness (DTRR) database, which benchmarks 121 countries globally across key policy areas, including data governance, electronic transactions, cross-border data transfers, digital identity, cybersecurity and platform regulation. The DTRR serves as a foundation for tailored Digital Trade Assessments (DTA), informing national and regional strategies, supporting lending and reform programmes and providing analytical input to global policy discussions on trade in services and the digital economy.
• The World Bank Group’s Digital Economy for Africa (DE4A) Initiative supports the African Union’s Digital Transformation Strategy for Africa in identifying the key policy reforms and investments needed at the national and regional level for countries in Africa to achieve their digital development ambitions. The DE4A Initiative supports policy reforms and leverages public and private investment to build digital economies in Africa. Country diagnostics offer a snapshot of the state of the digital economy at the country level. As of March 2023, 40 country diagnostics had been completed.
• The Digital Advisory and Trade Assistance (DATA) Fund, a pilot programme managed by the World Bank, has been established to advance technical assistance in digital trade and to support developing economies’ participation by improving the domestic regulatory and business conditions for engaging in global digital markets. It will also support capacity building in drafting international rules on digital matters through specialized training for policy-makers and other stakeholders.
• The World Bank's Eastern Africa Regional Digital Integration projects constitute an investment of over USD 500 million to address challenges in the digital trade ecosystem. The objective is to promote the expansion of an integrated digital market across Eastern Africa by increasing cross-border broadband connectivity, enabling data flows and fostering digital trade in the region.
• The World Bank's Digital Transformation for Africa (DTfA)/Western Africa Regional Digital Integration Program (WARDIP) has two phases (the second is currently under preparation) with an investment of USD 400 million. The program aims to increase broadband access and usage in participating countries and to promote the establishment of a single digital market in Western Africa.

Capacity-building activities, programmes, and resources by other international organizations and development banks

• The International Trade Centre (ITC) has initiatives aimed at enhancing digital trade capabilities, covering issues related to policy, information, institutional capacity building and support for technology sectors and development of e-commerce. They aim to empower a further 20,000 MSMEs and 4,000 digital entrepreneurs by 2025. Learn more: https://www.intracen.org/file/digital-moonshot-brochure-2024pdf
• ITC assists countries in building appropriate digital policy and regulatory environments at national, regional and multilateral levels.  This includes the adoption of legislative and administrative reforms, and the negotiation and implementation of e-commerce provisions in trade agreements or international standards into domestic frameworks.  For example, ITC recently assisted Sri Lanka. Learn more: Sri Lanka: Trade related assistance | ITC
• ITC's ecomConnect Programme supports MSMEs by providing essential digital tools and training with an investment of approximately USD 5 million from donor partners. Learn more: ecomConnect Programme: Empowering businesses through e-commerce | ITC
• The ITC "Fast Track Tech" methodology is deployed in emerging economies to support technology start-ups with business skills training, market and investment access, and business model advisory services. It provides tailored support in financial, human resource and product management along with mentorship and networking opportunities with investors.
• ITC engages at the micro level to provide support to services enterprises in developing countries. This involves: 1) engaging with business support organizations (BSO) to improve the solutions offered to exporters and investors from the services sector (e.g., helping cross cutting organizations like chambers or investment promotion agencies to better reflect the importance of the services sector by reviewing their sector prioritisation); 2) Helping early and growth stage tech start-ups scale beyond borders through incubation and acceleration services; 3) Helping services and IT & BPO companies grow their business (e.g., through training and mentoring); 4) Supporting non digital companies go digital by adopting digital tools and drive digital transformation (e.g., preparation of digital readiness profiles and clear priorities followed by targeted matchmaking between MSMEs and vetted tech providers); 5) Helping young freelancers start a digital career.
• The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) plays a key role in supporting Aid for Trade by building digital skills and enhancing connectivity in developing economies, with a particular focus on LDCs:
  • The ITU Academy is the ITU platform for capacity development, bringing together a wide range of training activities in the field of digital development, training policy-makers and professionals to lead digital transformation in their countries
  • The Digital Transformation Centres Initiative (DTCI), supported by ITU and Cisco, provides essential digital skills to underserved communities, helping them engage in the global digital economy.
• United Nations Trade and Development (UNCTAD), through its E-commerce and Digital Economy (ECDE) Programme, seeks to strengthen the readiness of developing economies to leverage e-commerce, digital trade and the digital economy for development, including by:
  • helping developing economies and regions understand the state of play of their e-commerce enabling environment in key policy areas and issuing recommendations for overcoming barriers and bottlenecks identified (eTrade Readiness Assessments) as well as assisting them in formulating E-Commerce Strategies and Action Plans.  
  • building the capacity of law and policymakers at the domestic and regional levels to analyse the legal issues underpinning e-commerce and establish domestic and regional legal frameworks. Learn more: E-commerce and Law Reform
  • catalysing more collaborative efforts and effective partnerships to make better use of available resources to address challenges to the development of e-commerce (eTrade for all)
• ECLAC has provided support to the Dominican Republic (2021) and Panama (2025) for the elaboration and implementation of a National Strategy for Modern Services Exports. See: https://camaratic.org.do/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Estrategia_Nacional_de_Exportacion _de_Servicios_Modernos.pdf and https://micm.gob.do/transparencia/micm-presenta-primera-estrategia-nacional-para-impulsar-exportacion-de-servicios-modernos-y-economia-creativa  and  https://mici.gob.pa/2025/10/08/avanza-la-elaboracion-de-la-estrategia-nacional-de-exportacion-de-servicios-modernos-en-panama/amp/

Related resources

Author	Title	Link
WBG	Facilitating Trade and Logistics for E-commerce	Get resource
WTO, IMF, UN, OECD, WBG	Digital Trade for Development Report (2023)	Get resource
UNCTAD	Inclusive Digital Economy Review (2019–2020)	Get resource
UNCTAD	Economic Development in Africa Report 2022: The Role of Business & Financial Services	Get resource
WBG	DE4A Country Diagnostics Covers digital infrastructure, public platforms, digital skills and policy environments in African countries.	Get resource
African Union Commission	Digital Transformation Strategy for Africa (2020–2030)	Get resource