Anna Joubin-Bret, Secretary of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), said the UAE’s proposal to develop a model law around digital trade and digital platforms marks a significant step toward a global legal framework that strengthens trust and innovation in the digital economy.

Joubin-Bret said the initiative was welcomed in light of the UAE’s advanced digital economy, its leading role in e-commerce and digital trade, and its emergence as a regional and global hub serving multiple countries and regions.

Speaking to the Emirates News Agency (WAM) during the UAE Global Summit on Digital Trade and Digital Platforms in Dubai, she said the initiative originated from the UAE’s submission at the 67th session of UNCITRAL Working Group IV in Vienna in November 2024, where the UAE’s digital commerce law was presented as a potential reference model. The proposal received support from Spain before being formally endorsed by UNCITRAL last July.

She noted that drafting digital trade laws is challenging due to rapid technological developments, especially in AI and advanced digital tools, which require flexible regulations that provide legal certainty without being tied to a specific technology. For this reason, UNCITRAL has long adopted the principle of technological neutrality across its work in e-commerce to ensure laws remain relevant as technology evolves.

She described the global summit as an important platform for shaping the future legal architecture of digital trade and strengthening international cooperation.