ABU DHABI, UAE, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- As a member of the WTO Director-General Business Advisory Group, Founder, Chairperson, and CEO of DHGATE Group Diane Wang was invited to speak at the recent 13th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO MC13) in Abu Dhabi.
DHGATE Group CEO Diane Wang Calls For Increased Collaboration, Inclusivity and Sustainability at WTO 13th Ministerial Conference
During the "Re-globalizing trade for people and planet" panel on February 27th, Diane not only shared insights on global trade opportunities but also highlighted to ministers and WTO members from around the world how a more inclusive and sustainable global economy is key to re-globalizing trade.
"The complexities and challenges of international trade, such as the concerning trend of fragmentation and de-globalization, pose significant challenges especially to vulnerable groups like Least Developed Countries (LDCs); micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs); and women," said Diane, who was one of only a handful of esteemed panelists at WTO MC13.
She identified three key challenges during the panel discussion: limited access to markets due to regulatory barriers, lack of infrastructure, and limited resources; limited access to financing; and the digital divide, which holds back MSMEs and women's ability to compete in the digital economy.
Through DHGATE Group, Diane has been actively pursuing initiatives to overcome these challenges and empower vulnerable groups, such as through providing resources, digital tools, and training and education for trade skills. DHgate.com has so far trained 500,000 MSMEs (40% of which are female-led) make up through online and offline workshops, enabling them to go global through the digital economy.
Held from February 26th to 29th, 2024, WTO MC13 serves as a pivotal platform for global trade discussions, bringing together ministers from around the world to review the functioning of the multilateral trading system and to take action on the future work of the WTO. The biennial Ministerial Conference is the world's topmost decision-making body for multilateral trade agreements.
As a prominent and influential figure in the digital economy, Diane's participation underscores DHGATE Group's commitment to fostering an inclusive and sustainable digital economy, particularly for MSMEs and female entrepreneurs.
"The WTO plays a very important role through promoting policies, encouraging public-private collaboration, and encouraging cooperation between countries. There is an urgent need for more practical, hands-on programs, so one way would be for the WTO to advocate for projects such as the APEC Cross-Border E-commerce Training program (APEC CBET)," Diane shared. Started in 2014, the APEC CBET accelerates cooperation between experienced economies and those with less experience, which then empowers local MSMEs to go global through digital platforms such as cross-border e-commerce.
Diane had also launched the APEC Women Connect (AWC) initiative in 2016, which aims to empower women through inspirational sharing, practical learning, effective recognition and awards. In the seven years since, the AWC program has been recognized and endorsed by the leaders of UN, APEC, and G20 countries; and has trained over 100,000 women MSMEs and nurtured over 5,000 female entrepreneurs.
With WTO's help in advocating for such programs, APEC CBET and AWC would be able to secure more partners and NGO participation, growing the scope of what these programs can achieve for MSMEs and female entrepreneurs.
Championing the belief that technology and e-commerce hold the key to a more inclusive and sustainable global economy, Diane addressed how new technologies and AI are important enablers for e-commerce by helping to empower MSMEs and women in underserved communities and regions to participate and compete in more palpable ways. An example is by using AI with processes such as interpreting data to guide product design direction, which can then be swiftly followed up by 3D printing of products for market testing and scaling up production. This streamlined product development process enhances efficiency and reduces costs significantly.
"The WTO is the bridge that can connect the needs and resources of every party in the trade network, providing MSMEs and female entrepreneurs with collaborative opportunities, capacity-building projects and the right digital tools to more effectively develop their businesses for international trade. Only then can we deliver on the promise of re-globalization that benefits both people and the planet," Diane said.
In addition to Diane Wang, other speakers for the "Re-globalizing trade for people and planet" panel included Pradeep Mehta, the Secretary-General of the international non-profit organization Consumer Unity & Trust Society, which focuses on providing the poor with access to developmental opportunities; as well as Luc Triangle, General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation, the world's largest trade union federation.
As a valuable member of the WTO Director-General Business Advisory Group, Diane attended key MC13 events and also met with WTO Director-General Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and business leaders from around the world to advise on global trade, e-commerce, MSMEs and women's empowerment initiatives.
Diane is the sole representative from China among the current 10 members, drawing from 30+ years of experience in the cross-border e-commerce business and imparting her global online trade perspectives on international trade practices. The Business Advisory Group was recently established by Dr. Ngozi to improve engagement with businesses and facilitate dialogue on key issues relevant to both the multilateral trading system and complex international business landscape.
About DHgate
Founded in 2004, DHgate has become the leading B2B cross-border e-commerce marketplace in China, boasting over 34 million live listings annually. Through their global operations and offices, including in the USA and UK, DHgate reaches millions of people with trusted products and services. As of December 31, 2022, DHgate served more than 59.6 million registered buyers from 225 countries and regions, connecting them to over 2.54 million sellers in China and other countries.
For more information, please visit DHgate.com and follow @DHgate.com.
