Monash Memo - articles - 26 March 2002

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Law experts help developing countries expand e-trade

Monash'se-commerce law experts visited Vietnam recently in a bid to helpdeveloping economies take advantage of expanding trade opportunities inthe APEC region.

Representatives of the university's Centre for Law inthe Digital Economy (CliDE) visited Hanoi, where they conducted anE-commerce Legal Infrastructure Workshop to help countries includingVietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand and China gain a betterunderstanding of international legal standards and of e-commerce law andpolicy.

Workshop convenor and presenter Ms Melissa de Zwart said theworkshop was developed after Vietnam had approached Australia forhelp.

"Policy makers in developing economies recognise they risk beingexcluded from the rapidly increasing regional trade opportunities thatelectronic commerce provides if they don't establish legalinfrastructures that conform to international norms," Ms de Zwartsaid.

"Legal standards have to be the same across borders to enablecountries to trade with each other."

Monash associate professor andassociate dean (Development) Dr Elizabeth Lanyon said the two-dayworkshop had been designed to give government officials in developingeconomies practical materials they could use to build their e-commercelegal infrastructure.

"The workshop introduced participants to themain threads of e-commerce law, including the global e-commerceframework, the components of e-commerce transactions, jurisdiction, andthe regulation of e-business," she said.

Australia coordinated theworkshop through APEC bodies, the Telecommunications and InformationWorking Group and the E-Commerce Steering Group, as well as Australia'said agency AusAID.