Global Services Forum - Session 2: Governance and export performance of modern services in Latin America and India

Book presentation

The spread of information and communications technology (ICT) has made many services tradable. Many multinational companies in developed countries have relocated certain administrative and strategic services to emerging economies. These countries can produce modern ICT-enabled services at a lower cost. In 2017, the top 10 modern service exporters in Latin America and the Caribbean were Brazil, Argentina, Costa Rica, Mexico, Chile, Panama, Uruguay, Colombia, Peru and Guatemala. However, the development of the sector in each country has been very different. Some saw in modern services an opportunity to enter the knowledge economy. With this objective in mind, they created incentives for multinational companies to use their countries as a platform for exporting services together with incentives to promote exports by national companies. In turn, several of these countries adopted policies to promote the development of human capital, which helped to launch a new phase of industrial policy.

This event launches the English version of a book that analyses policies and initiatives adopted by governments of eight countries in Latin America and India, with particular emphasis on governance. This book suggests that those countries that adopted active and coordinated policies – in particular in the areas of attracting foreign direct investment and human skills – were more successful in boosting their modern services’ exports. In the modern services sector, worker skills are a fundamental foundation for scaling up value chains.

The book concludes that most Latin American countries lag in designing and implementing their policies to promote the export of modern services, especially regarding their institutional framework and governance. Although modern services are the fastest growing sector in world trade, this region runs the risk of being even further left behind in this area due to its lack of an adequate promotion system supported by good governance.

Objective

Participants increase their understanding of the crucial role of active and coordinated policies (both within government and with the private sector) to succeed in modern ICT-enabled services exports.

This event is also supported with International Sign Language.

Download: Concept Note and Programme

Watch recording of Session 2