Mauritius joins the WTO JSI on e-commerce

Mauritius has joined the WTO JSI on e-commerce, becoming the 87th participant. Negotiators are focusing on cyber security, privacy, telecommunications, electronic invoicing, and electronic transaction frameworks. A stocktaking effort is underway to identify proposals lacking support, encouraging the withdrawal of individual proposals to facilitate agreement by the end of 2022. Energizing efforts in areas lacking consensus and retracting where needed are highlighted as key to achieving convergence.

Mauritius joined the Joint Initiative on e-commerce, bringing the total number of participants to 87. During a cluster of meetings that took place in September, negotiators sought convergence on topics such as cyber security, privacy, telecommunications services, electronic invoicing and electronic transaction frameworks. A stocktaking effort is being put in place in order identify proposals that have not yet attracted universal support in the negotiations. The withdrawal of proposals from single proponents is being encouraged. According to the co-conveners of the Initiative, it is possible to achieve convergence on most issues by the end of 2022, but “this will require members to energize in those areas where no convergence has been reached and pull back where it has become clear there is not enough support”.