The Landscape of B2C E-commerce Marketplaces in East Asia

Dr. Yann Duval is currently Chief of Trade Policy and Facilitation at ESCAP, the regional branch of the United Nations Secretariat for Asia and the Pacific. Over the past 20 years at UN ESCAP, Mr. Duval has conducted research and delivered technical assistance and advisory services on trade policy and facilitation throughout Asia and the Pacific, including on the WTO Agreements. He spearheaded the development of the Asia-Pacific Research and Training Network on Trade (ARTNeT), as well as the creation of the ESCAP-World Bank Trade Cost Database and the UN Global Survey on Digital and Sustainable Trade Facilitation.

His trade policy research and advocacy work has emphasized the importance of mainstreaming sustainable development objectives into trade policy and facilitation. He has led the preparation of UN ESCAP flagship reports on trade and investment in collaboration with UNCTAD and UNEP, examining the role of non-tariff measures in sustainable development as well as how to promote climate-smart trade and investment. During the COVID-19 crisis, he coordinated a UN-wide initiative to develop model provisions in trade agreements for trade in time of crisis, including in cooperation with WTO and civil society organizations. His current work focuses on leveraging digital trade for sustainable development and the design of sustainable development provisions in regional trade agreements.

Mr. Duval was instrumental in the development and negotiation of the Framework Agreement on Facilitation of Cross-Border Paperless Trade in Asia and the Pacific, a UN treaty which entered into force in 2021. He has overseen readiness assessments for cross-border paperless trade in over a dozen countries and co-led the preparation of the WTO/ESCAP/UNCITRAL Cross-Border Paperless Trade Toolkit (2022) as well as the UN online course on Next-Generation Trade Facilitation.

He has actively promoted the use of advanced information and communication technologies for research and building capacity in policy making, including through the launch of the online Trade Intelligence and Negotiation Adviser (TINA), a tool aimed at supporting developing countries in preparing for trade negotiations.

Prior to joining the UN, He held faculty positions and taught economics and management at the Asian Institute of Technology and Washington State University, USA. He holds a PhD in Agricultural Economics from Kansas State University and an engineering degree from PURPAN Toulouse, France.

James Howe is Head Digital, Markets and Connectivity and Senior Adviser International Marketing and Branding at the International Trade Centre, a joint agency of the World Trade Organization and the United Nations. James and his team work to enable enterprises to activate their marketing strategies through branding, sales and marketing programmes and e-commerce. He leads ITC’s “Digital Moonshot” initiative which supports inclusive access to the opportunities of digital trade and in particular e-commerce. His team also leads marketing and branding initiatives at the country, sector, and individual enterprise level, designed to ensure enterprises from developing countries successfully connect to markets in the digital age.

Ms. Eunju Oh is the Deputy Director of the Latin America and Caribbean Cooperation Division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Korea. In her current role, she oversees ECLAC-related work, among other inter-regional cooperation mechanisms between Korea and Latin America. Ms. Oh holds a Bachelor's degree in Economics and Statistics from Korea University, and her expertise in international relations and economic cooperation has been instrumental in advancing Korea's cooperation with Latin American and Caribbean region.

With over 13 years of experience as a Professor of Digital Commerce at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (AUAS), Jesse leads research in data-driven marketing & AI, sustainable marketing, and emerging marketing technology. He is also the director and founder of the Center for Market Insights (CMI), steering the vision and direction of this research center, the innovative hub of the School of Marketing at AUAS.

With expertise and an extensive work portfolio in retail innovation, (cross-border) e-commerce, generative AI, and sustainable marketing, Jesse led the data collection and provided the methodology for constructing the database underlying the Asia Marketplace Explorer and the “Landscape of B2C e-commerce marketplaces in East Asia” report and country briefs.

Silvère Dernouh is an expert in digital trade within the Trade Policy and Facilitation Section (ESCAP – Trade, Investment & Innovation Division). He coordinates the mapping analysis of e-marketplaces in East Asia to identify and characterize the main trends and key players involved, as part of a project funded by the Forum for East Asia-Latin America Cooperation (FEALAC). He is a part of the coordination team for the UN Global Survey on Digital and Sustainable Trade Facilitation in the Asia-Pacific region. He also administers the Cross-Border Paperless Trade Database, which lists legal instruments, pilot projects and standards of implementation on electronic exchange of documents and data facilitating trade in goods and services. More broadly, he contributes to the Section's work on trade facilitation, digital trade, and digitization of trade.

Sven is a senior adviser to Governments and International Organizations in Asia and the Pacific. He is the Director of TradeWorthy Ltd., an Australian advisory and research firm. After a 13-year career as a trade adviser for UNCTAD, he went freelance and has advised several Governments in Asia and the Pacific in accelerating their trade, trade in services and digital trade adoption. His expertise is sought after by entities such as the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), USAID, UN agencies like UNCTAD and UNESCAP.

Sven was appointed as Adviser to the Ministry of Commerce by Royal Decree in August 2023. He is advising the Lao Ministry of Commerce for the Chairmanship of ASEAN. He is currently leading the formulation of Cambodia's Trade Policy Framework 2030, and Cambodia's first-ever Digital Trade Policy and advising the Cambodian DEFA negotiation committee. Sven has authored more than 15 regional national e-trade readiness assessments and national e-commerce strategies for Southeast Asian and Pacific economies.

Rifan Ardianto has served as the Director of the newly established Directorate of Electronic Commerce and Trade in Services at the Ministry of Trade Republic of Indonesia since 2022. Born in Bandung in 1981, he pursued his undergraduate studies at the Bandung Institute of Technology in Mathematics. He later advanced his academic career in Australia, where he earned a PhD in Supply Chain and Logistics from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) University, graduating in 2018. As Director, Rifan Ardianto has been developed Ministry of Trade Regulation No. 31 of 2023, aimed at establishing a fair e-commerce ecosystem for businesses and consumers in Indonesia.

Miss Kulthirath Pakawachkrilers, the co-founder and CEO of Thailand e-Business Center (TeC), is a prominent figure in the digital consulting and e-commerce industry in Thailand and the Asia-Pacific region. Her firm, TeC, is recognized for its expertise in helping businesses with market entry, expansion, and growth, specifically within the e-commerce sector. Importantly, she made history after Thai e-Commerce Association (THECA) was established more than 19 years as the first elected female president of THECA, an organization that plays a crucial role in shaping the e-commerce industry in Thailand.

Miss Kulthirath's work as a national expert judge for the UN Women Asia-Pacific WEPs Awards, Thai Influencer Awards, and Thai E-Commerce Awards demonstrates her multifaceted expertise and her commitment to recognizing and promoting outstanding achievements in e-business and digital transformation in the digital age.

Dr. Leonila Guglya is a counsel of the International Trade / WTO Law Practice of SwissLegal Rouiller et Associés in Geneva. She holds a Ph.D. in international trade law from the University of Geneva (2017) and an SJD in international arbitration from Central European University (2010), both summa cum laude.

Dr. Guglya gained an extensive experience in international trade law and policy formulation, international business law and international dispute resolution, having advised governments within the framework of varied programmes and initiatives. In the area of digital economy, her latest mandates focus on trade-related aspects of e-commerce and paperless trade on all – multilateral (WTO), plurilateral (WTO Joint Statement Initiatives (on E-commerce and others), regional (notably, AfCFTA, ASEAN (the ASEAN ECA and the DEFA), UEMOA, the RCEP) and national levels (varied jurisdictions in South-East Asia (CLM), South Asia, West Africa, and the Pacific).

Dr. Guglya has worked with several international law firms, as well as international organizations (WTO, UN ESCAP, UNCTAD, UNDP and the ITC) and NGOs, and has various academic engagements in the different corners of the world.

Ms. Witada Anukoonwattaka serves as Economic Affairs Officer for the Trade Policy and Facilitation Section of the Trade and Investment Division at the United Nations ESCAP. She possesses extensive experience in trade policy research and has implemented capacity-building initiatives focused on trade, investment, and digital trade policies. Recently, she led the background research and the preparation of the Asia-Pacific Trade and Investment Report 2023. This joint ESCAP-UNCTAD-UNIDO publication is dedicated to the theme of unleashing digital trade and investment for sustainable development. In addition, she is the coordinator for the ESCAP-ECA-ECLAC joint initiative on digital trade regulatory analysis and collaborates with the ESCAP-OECD on research pertaining to digital trade policies in Asia and the Pacific. Before joining ESCAP, she was a lecturer of the Faculty of Economics at Thammasat University, Thailand, and also worked  in the advisory team of Thailand’s minister of industry, foreign affairs, and commissioner of Thailand’s National Telecommunications Commission. She holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Melbourne, Australia