CAREC Program – USAID Future Growth Initiative Webinar Series: Toward a Central Asian E-Commerce Market

12, 19 and 31 May 2022

Online registration for the webinar https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_iQCrWBOfTEWB00dlgTyG_w

Jointly organized by Asian Development Bank, U.S. Agency for International Development Future Growth Initiative (USAID FGI), CAREC Institute, in collaboration with other development partners

Introduction and Objectives

To develop an integrated regional e-commerce market that facilitates trade and enables firms to grow their sales, all stakeholders – businesses, governments, and civil society are needed around the table to develop joint solutions. This event series, co-hosted by USAID’s Future Growth Initiative and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) under the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Program, aims to catalyze exactly this discussion among regional and international public and private sector actors, who over three days will be invited to share their ideas on steps toward a Central Asian regional e-commerce market.

The event is envisioned to result in a document with recommendations for a regional e-commerce agenda. The FGI team is also looking by way of this event to spark closer cooperation among donors and donor-supported organizations on e-commerce development in Central Asia (including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan), for example, through an informal “E-Coordination Group,” as well as promote continued dialogue among regional private and public sector stakeholders on the regional e-commerce agenda.

Day 1 (12 May 2022) will focus on ongoing initiatives and research of development partners in the Central Asian region, giving background and best practices on e-commerce use and development, including enabling the environment to develop and promote e-commerce.

Day 2 (19 May 2022) will feature experiences from other regions such as Southeast Asia and Central and South America on methods to build and deepen a regional e-commerce agenda for Central Asian countries.

Day 3 (31 May 2022) will promote the private sector to share its views on priority challenges to cross-border e-commerce in the region and how the regional agenda can resolve them, promote dialogue between public and private sectors, and identify concrete actions toward a sustainable and inclusive regional e-commerce market.

Target Participants

Government representatives from relevant agencies responsible for e-commerce development in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan; E-commerce associations and service providers in 5 Central Asian countries; International experts on e-commerce, including from other regions; Development partners involved in the region with e-commerce agenda

Supported under KSTA 9824: Better Customs for Better Client Services in Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation Countries, co-funded by the Regional Cooperation and Integration Fund; the PRC Poverty Reduction and Regional Cooperation Fund; United Kingdom Fund for Asia Regional Trade and Connectivity, and Republic of Korea e-Asia and Knowledge Partnership Fund.