The contribution of 4 million Swiss francs from Switzerland’s State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) will support UN Trade and Development’s E-commerce and the Digital Economy Programme during the 2025-2029 tenure.
The new funds will enhance the programme’s capacity to deliver innovative research, technical cooperation, and foster intergovernmental consensus.
On 21 October, SECO’s Head of Trade Promotion, Monica Rubiolo, announced the contribution agreement alongside Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan, during the 16th session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD16), hosted by Switzerland from 20 to 23 October 2025, at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.
“Switzerland underscores its support for an environmentally sustainable digital economy and for strengthening the multilateral digital trading system,” says SECO Head of Trade Promotion Monica Rubiolo.
“We are proud to have Switzerland support the E-commerce and Digital Economy Programme as one of its core donors,” says UNCTAD Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan.
“And we look forward to continuing to work together to reduce inequalities, enable the benefits of digitalisation to reach all people, and ensure that no one is left behind in the fast-evolving digital economy,” Ms Grynspan adds.
Yearslong partnership with global impact
Renowned for its commitment to multilateralism, innovation and dialogue, Switzerland is at the forefront of global efforts to bridge digital and data divides.
Since 2021, UN Trade and Development and SECO have partnered to help developing countries such as Ghana, Peru and Tunisia assess their e-trade readiness and implement necessary reforms.
Their collaboration informs the global agenda on critical issues like data governance for development and women digital entrepreneurship in developing countries.
It also strengthens the role of UNCTAD eWeek, inaugurated in Geneva in 2023, as a recognised hub for policy debates on a wide range of topics related to development and the digital economy.
Switzerland is a member of the core donor advisory board of the E-commerce and the Digital Economy Programme, alongside Australia, the kingdom of the Netherlands and Sweden.
The programme supports developing and least developed countries with eTrade readiness assessments, e-commerce strategies, measuring e-commerce and the digital economy, e-commerce and law reform, as well as the eTrade for Women and eTrade for all initiatives.
