ITC and GSMA to boost digital inclusion of small businesses of underserved communities
(London/Geneva) – The International Trade Centre (ITC) and the GSMA today signed a memorandum of understanding to mark a partnership bridging the digital divide for small businesses and entrepreneurs in developing countries. It builds on an earlier collaboration between the organizations as part of the UN Broadband Commission, where they co-chaired a working group on ‘Making Connectivity Work for MSMEs’ in 2023. This new partnership seeks to further unlock digital business and trade opportunities, particularly for the underserved: women, poor, young and refugees.
Despite the wide availability of digital networks, many communities do not use them yet. The vast majority of the unconnected live in developing countries and face barriers to leveraging digital connectivity, related to knowledge and digital skills, affordability (especially of devices), relevance, safety and security, as well as access.
ITC and the GSMA aim to address this challenge and help boost online activity and economic prospects for small businesses through initiatives that support digital entrepreneurship, digital skills training, as well as technical assistance for policymakers.
Supporting digital entrepreneurship will focus on high-impact areas such as youth, refugees and agritech. Digital skills training will focus on basic digital skills, financial literacy as well as e-commerce. At the policy level, the partnership will provide training and support to policymakers in Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa on implementing digital policy reforms and increasing preparedness for digital provisions in trade agreements.
ITC Executive Director Pamela Coke-Hamilton said: “To open up opportunities in trade, we have to close the digital gap, especially for women, youth and people in vulnerable communities. With the GSMA, we’re prioritizing support to those who need it most, so they can use digital tools to trade, create jobs and support their families.”
Mats Granryd, Director General at the GSMA, added: “Mobile connectivity is a catalyst for transforming lives and fostering inclusive economic growth. Unfortunately, many small businesses are still unable to enjoy these benefits. By partnering with ITC, we aim to bridge this gap and make a tangible difference in communities where the digital divide is most profound.”
The partnership will seek potential opportunities for impact in Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Uganda as well as other countries across Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.
Through this collaboration, ITC and the GSMA commit to helping create inclusive digital economies and empower small businesses from underserved communities to participate in and benefit from global digital trade.
Notes to the Editor
About the International Trade Centre - The International Trade Centre is the joint agency of the World Trade Organization and the United Nations. ITC assists small and medium-sized enterprises in developing and transition economies to become more competitive in global markets, thereby contributing to sustainable economic development within the frameworks of the Aid-for-Trade agenda and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
For more information, visit www.intracen.org.
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About the GSMA – The GSMA is a global organisation unifying the mobile ecosystem to discover, develop and deliver innovation foundational to positive business environments and societal change. Our vision is to unlock the full power of connectivity so that people, industry, and society thrive. Representing mobile operators and organisations across the mobile ecosystem and adjacent industries, the GSMA delivers for its members across three broad pillars: Connectivity for Good, Industry Services and Solutions, and Outreach. This activity includes advancing policy, tackling today’s biggest societal challenges, underpinning the technology and interoperability that make mobile work, and providing the world’s largest platform to convene the mobile ecosystem at the MWC and M360 series of events.
We invite you to find out more at www.gsma.com
Media contacts
Susanna Pak
Senior Strategic Communications Officer
International Trade Centre
E: pak [at] intracen.org
T: +41 22 730 0651
The GSMA
GSMA Press Office
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