Electronic commerce: A regional approach

During the months of May and June of 2002, interviews and surveys were conducted with over 30 high‐level private, public, academic and non‐profit sector leaders from around the world to discuss the development and impact of regional e‐commerce initiatives. Three pioneers in this arena were analyzed: the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Asia‐Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and the European Union (EU). The motivation, objectives, design, structure and implementation of their respective e‐commerce programs were explored, with an eye toward uncovering the visible and invisible challenges and opportunities. This paper presents a set of high‐level principles which guided and influenced these initiatives and that can serve as a reference for other organizations considering regional e‐commerce needs.