Institute for Internet Policy & Law @ Beijing Normal University

Virtual Knowledge Sharing (II) UNCITRAL Texts and International Trade in the Digital Era”, co-organized by UNCITRAL RCAP, the Electronic Transactions Development Agency (ETDA) of Thailand, and Bolliger & Company (Thailand) Ltd., was held on 2 June 2021 from 1.30 – 4.45 pm Bangkok time (UTC+7) via Zoom.

The event was a virtual knowledge-sharing platform to provide an overall understanding of enabling legal frameworks for digital trade for Thai government agencies, other domestic stakeholders, and regional participants. More than 150 participants from 20 Asian countries (like Nepal, Philippines, Thailand, Bangladesh) joined the event and raised many questions.

The event invited 10 experts to reviewed the electronic transactions law, policies, and practices at international level, including UNCITRAL e-commerce texts such as the ECC and MLETR. The analysis of information from this activity would provide a solid basis for the developing countries to prepare for the on-going international negotiation on digital economy at various international arenas, such as WTO and UNCITRAL.

Prof. Xue gave a keynote speech on legal facilitation of cross-border e-commerce through the Free Trade Agreements (FTAs). Prof. Xue explained the e-commerce chapters/provisions in the FTAs and dedicated Digital Economy Partnership Agreements (DEPAs) and summarized the four legal clusters to facilitate cross-border e-commerce. Particularly, not only trade of digital goods but the sales of goods in e-commerce involves transferring trade-related data across border. Although there are established legal frameworks on international trade law and paperless trade, lack of worldwide-recognized international laws on cross-border transition prevents the sustainable developments of international digital trade. Three different models have emerged from the respective FTAs (CPTPP, EU Partnership Agreements and RCEP). The minimalist approach that allows the MSes to exercise the indisputable rights on data flow and localization requirement regarding the essential security interests is entirely different from the enabling model that clearly prohibits such requirements. Although both models try to prevent unnecessary burden on e-commerce, the newly established indisputable right obviously goes beyond the traditional scope of legitimate policy objectives. Prof. Xue concludes that the WTO Joint Statement Initiative on digital economy and e-commerce is facing to the frictions of different models and challenges of inclusion of developing countries and LDCs.

Virtual Knowledge Sharing (II) UNCITRAL Texts and International Trade in the Digital Era
Wednesday, 2 June 2021
8.30 am – 12.30 pm Vienna time/1.30 – 5.30 pm Bangkok time/ 3.30 – 7.30 pm Seoul time

2021年5月9日，由北京市法学会电子商务法治研究会主办的第八届电子商务法治高峰论坛，在京成功召开。来自全国人大法工委、国家市场监管总局网监司、北京市法学会、 北京师范大学、 中国人民大学、中国政法大学、中国消费者协会、北京市市场监管局、北京市消费者协会等120多位电子商务领域知名人士和专家学者齐聚一堂，围绕“网络交易发展与规范的制度创新”这一会议主题展开热烈深入的讨论，分享和交流各自的思考和研究成果。

北京师范大学法学院薛虹教授肯定了《网络交易监督管理办法》出台的积极意义，规则的明确有利于让市场主体依据规则预算自己所要承担的监管风险以及预见自己行为的后果，“平台要承担起相应的责任，要让真正在销售商品的经营者现出真身，这样才能真正的消费者提供有效的保障”。

关于《网络交易监督管理办法》的理解与适用，与会人员普遍认为《网络交易监督管理办法》积极回应了市场变化和消费者关切，对规范交易行为、压实平台主体责任、保障消费权益具有重要意义。

其他与会专家也结合会议主题从自身专业领域的视角出发，就中国目前电子商务的立法框架、基本原则、实践中存在的困惑、立法价值取向等问题，纷纷提出意见建议，极大地丰富了本届论坛的内涵与成果。

Beijing Normal University Global Development Strategic Partnership Project

外国专家网上讲座第二讲

Foreign Experts Virtual Lecture Series (Lecture 2)

互联网政策与法律研究中心主办

Moderator

Prof. dr. Hong Xue, Director of Institute for Internet Policy & Law, Beijing Normal University

Date, Time and Connection Details

30 April 2021, 18:00 -20:00

Lecture via Zoom connection

2021年4月30日晚, 联合国国际贸易法委员会秘书处的法律干事Dr. Luca Castellani 为北师大中国、意大利、伊朗等国的中外研究生以及国际经济贸易仲裁员等做了专题网络学术报告。从中国的角度，介绍了贸易法委员会在数字经济法方面的相关工作。Dr. Luca Castellani首先介绍了数字经济的特性和重要性，数字经济是一个很广泛的概念，其成功离不开连贯一致的政策、强大有力的技术支持以及适当可行的法律环境。数字经济交叉贯穿于各个领域，与之联系密切的有数据隐私和保护、网络犯罪、知识产权等，因而涉及到众多法律的适用。Dr. Luca Castellani列举了一些与数字经济有关的法律，并专门介绍了《数字经济法与自由贸易协定》，重点解读了协定中有关电子商务和无纸贸易便利化的章节。《联合国电子通信公约》、《贸易便利化协定》等专门条约影响着国内法的制定，对没有直接参与的国家也具有重要意义。《全面与进步跨太平洋伙伴关系协定》第14章和《区域全面经济伙伴关系协定》第12章旨在促进电子商务和无纸贸易的便利化，全面制定了电子商务的有关规定，主要表现在：寻求法律上的相互承认和相互操作性；支持不歧视和技术中立原则，包括电子签名；允许对某些特定交易类型使用特定的技术；明确表明采用贸易法委员会法规。贸易法委员会早在19世纪80年代就开始研究电子数据交换和跨境电子支付，是联合国电子商务与数字经济工作的核心法律机构，为数字经济的发展作出了较大贡献。1996年通过了旨在使现代通信和信息储存手段能够商业化使用的《贸易法委员会电子商务示范法》。2005年通过了《联合国国际合同使用电子通信公约》，建立并更新了电子商务法的规定，提高了跨境使用电子通信的法律确定性。2017年又通过了《贸易法委员会电子可转让纪录示范法》，完善了贸易法委员会的一系列法规，是数字经济和无纸贸易的重要推动力量。Dr. Luca Castellani专门从中国的角度分析了《贸易法委员会电子可转让示范法》和《联合国国际合同使用电子通信公约》的适用性，中国签署了《亚太跨境无纸贸易便利化框架协定》，为数字丝绸之路的法律建设提供了重要支撑。贸易法委员会第四工作组目前在进行电子身份管理和可信服务方面的磋商工作，示范法草案的商议也进入到了高级阶段，服务提供商的权利义务、服务和系统的可靠性、合同协议的效力等问题亟待解决。由于全球法律框架仍然处于缺失状态，跨境方面的工作尤为重要。Dr. Luca Castellani的讲座得到了中外与会者高度评价与赞誉，激发同学们的学习热情与信心，共同希望系列学术讲座能越办越好。

Expert Guest Lecture

Dr. Luca Castellani, legal officer in the Secretariat of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) lectured on the Relevance of the Work of UNCITRAL for the Law of Digital Economy with a Focus on China for the BNU Law School students, particularly for the LLM in Chinese Law and other postgraduate students, and other legal professionals such as the CIETAC arbitrators.

Expert Lecturer

Dr. Castellani, after graduating in law in the University of Torino, received a doctoral degree in comparative law from the University of Trieste and a master in international law from New York University. Dr. Castellani joined the Office of Legal Affairs of the secretariat of the United Nations in 2001 and the UNCITRAL secretariat in 2004, working in the areas of international sales and of electronic commerce. As secretary of UNCITRAL Working Group IV (Electronic Commerce), Dr. Castellani oversaw the preparation of the UNCITRAL Model Law on Electronic Transferable Records and the negotiation of the Provisions on IdM and Trust Services. Dr. Castellani is also active in the field of paperless trade facilitation and has contributed to drafting the Framework Agreement on Facilitation of Cross-border Paperless Trade in Asia and the Pacific. From March 2012 to November 2013 Dr. Castellani was assigned as first Head of the UNCITRAL Regional Centre for Asia and the Pacific, located in Incheon, Republic of Korea. Dr. Castellani has published several articles and other materials on international trade law and comparative law, namely sale of goods, e-commerce and trade law reform in developing countries.

International and Comparative Law Research Center (ICLRC), along with the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), and the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation , organized the online discussion session “Digitalization of International Trade” on March 30, 2021, from 1:00 to 6:30 p.m (UTC+3).

ICLRC is a Moscow-based non-profit non-governmental organization conducting research on various issues of public and private international law, as well as holding events on pertinent issues within the sphere.

As stated in the United Nations World Economic Situation and Prospects mid-2020 report, “nearly 90 per cent of the world economy has been under some form of lockdown, disrupting supply chains, depressing consumer demand and putting millions out of work”. The digitalization of international trade is one of the key factors which could ensure global trade growth in time of a crisis like COVID-19 pandemic and reduce contractor costs in general.

Given the restrictions imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is crucial to discuss the role of digital technologies in restoring the interrupted commercial ties and in establishing new ones, to analyse approaches to creating effective national and international regulation facilitating the introduction and use of digital forms of communication by market players as well as making them more reliable.

Prof. Xue was invited to give a keynote speech at the Panel 1 “Digital trading platforms”. Prof. Xue provided a comprehensive overview on the Online Trading Platforms in Trade Law and outlined 3 clusters of the platform services that have the most significant impacts on the international trade law. The speech was well received by all the audience and highly recognized by the experts. Prof. Xue also effectively responded to a variety of questions from harmonization of cross-border regulation to application to blockchain technology.

 

The Inclusive Global Legal Innovation Platform on Online Dispute Resolution (iGLIP on ODR) was set up by HKSAR Department of Justice, in collaboration with UNCITRAL, to survey the ODR landscape, keep track of and study emerging technologies and how they influence and affect the ODR process, conduct in-depth analyses on potential issues that may arise, and explore, discuss and develop innovative legal tools to address such issues. The first meeting of iGLIP on ODR was held on 18 March 2021 (HKT 4:00 – 6:35 p.m.). The event on recent developments in online platforms researched their disputes and trade-related activities to assist UNCITRAL in exploring future work in this area.

Online platforms (also known as “digital platforms” or “electronic platforms” are increasingly being used for trade. With the help of enhanced data processing and advanced algorithms, online platforms enable the sale of goods and supply of services, connect global supply chain participants, and create online spaces for collaboration. Employing a range of systems and technologies, while also pursuing a range of business models, online platforms not only create new trading opportunities, but also new ways of trading. The potential of online platforms for trade is particularly acute so for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). Online platforms employ a range of systems and technologies, including the use of interactive applications (e.g. allowing for communication between platform users), and offer additional services. They may also include a system for handling complaints, as well as a system for handling disputes between users (in which case the platform would also be a dispute resolution platform). On the other hand, platforms have also been developed fully dedicated to the resolution of disputes.

Prof. Xue was invited to give a keynote speech on the platforms’ dispute resolution mechanisms, e.g. notice system and complaining system, and present the potential and future development of the platforms in resolving international trade disputes. More than 40 experts from 3 continents joined the meeting and had the interesting discussions.

Programme

18 March 2021, 16:00-18:35 HK (GMT +8), 09:00-11:35 Vienna (CET)

16:00-16:20 Opening remarks

• Ms Teresa CHENG (Secretary for Justice, HKSAR) (10 mins)
• Ms Anna JOUBIN-BRET (Secretary, UNCITRAL) (10 mins)

16:20-17:25 Roundtable discussion on platforms for international trade and their linkage to dispute resolution

Moderator: Mr Jae Sung LEE (Legal Officer, UNCITRAL)

Rapporteur: Mr Ian LI (Acting Senior Government Counsel, Department of Justice, HKSAR, DOJ Project Office for Collaboration with UNCITRAL)

Presenters

• “Platform-based Models for International Trade: Legal Anatomy, Recent Trends, and Dispute Resolution Schemes”,Professor Teresa RODRÍGUEZ DE LAS HERAS BALLELL (Associate Professor of Commercial Law, University Carlos III of Madrid, Spain) (8 mins)
• “The Platform Effects of Dispute Resolution in International Trade”, Professor Hong XUE (Law Professor, Beijing Normal University, China) (8 mins)

Discussion from iGLIP members (up to 4 mins per intervention)

17:25-18:30 Roundtable discussion on online platforms for international dispute resolution

Moderator: Dr James DING (Commissioner, Inclusive Dispute Avoidance and Resolution Office, Department of Justice, HKSAR)

Rapporteur: Ms Michelle FUNG (Acting Deputy Principal Government Counsel, Department of Justice, HKSAR, DOJ Project Office for Collaboration with UNCITRAL)

Presenters

• “International Rule Making Projects on ODR”, Professor Yoshihisa HAYAKAWA (Professor of law, Rikkyo University, Japan) (8 mins)
• “Moving the needle”, Ms Lise ALM (Head of Business Development, The Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce, Sweden) (8 mins)

Discussion from iGLIP members (up to 4 mins per intervention)

18:30-18:35 Closing remarks

Mr Jae Sung LEE and Dr James DING