During the Caribbean Telecommunications Union’s ICT Week, held in Jamaica, the Commonwealth Secretariat officially launched the Commonwealth Model Law on Digital Trade, accompanied by an implementation guide. This landmark legal framework is designed to modernise trade rules, strengthen competitiveness, and drive inclusive growth in the digital economy
The model law was launched on 30 September 2025, during a week of meetings and activities designed to accelerate digital transformation and encourage increased trade in the Caribbean. The launch of the model law aligns with the Commonwealth Secretariat’s 2025-2030 Strategic Plan, which aims to boost economic resilience across its member countries.
The Commonwealth Model Law on Digital Trade responds to the reality that most existing trade laws were designed for a paper-based economy, while many of today’s businesses operate digitally, across jurisdictions, and in real-time. Part of the appeal of the Commonwealth’s role is that its 56 member countries already trade with each other, and many of those countries also share a common legal system.
The model law saves time and cost for legislative drafters by providing an easily customisable template that can accommodate adaptation to local context as well as existing legislation and regulations.
It provides governments with a harmonised framework to legally recognise electronic communications, contracts, signatures, and transferable digital records. Once implemented, businesses can replace outdated, manual processes with faster, cheaper, and more secure digital trade systems.
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Creating a more competitive Caribbean
At the launch of the model law in Jamaica, delegates underscored the strategic importance of increasing global competitiveness.
Welcoming regional stakeholders to the launch, Rajiv Babooram, Adviser and Head of the Commonwealth Connectivity Agenda at the Commonwealth Secretariat, emphasised:
“Digital trade does not succeed on technology alone. It requires trust, certainty, and legal frameworks that make an electronic document as valid as one printed and stamped, a digital signature as enforceable as one written by hand, and an online transaction as secure as one done face-to-face. Legal reform is not an option; it is the foundation on which our digital economy must be built.”
The Hon Konris Maynard, Minister of Public Infrastructure, Energy and Utilities, Domestic Transport, Information, Communication and Technology and Posts in St Kitts and Nevis, endorsed the model law, citing the efficiency gains for the government and the enhanced global competitiveness for his country’s businesses. Minister Maynard said:
“I am happy to advise that St Kitts and Nevis will be the first country in the Caribbean to pilot the Commonwealth Model Law on Digital Trade, and we are looking forward to paving the way ahead for regional alignment”.
The Hon Melford Nicholas, Minister for Information, Broadcasting, Telecommunications and Information Technology of Antigua and Barbuda, added:
“The Caribbean region holds significant potential for innovative, bankable business ideas and we need is for MSMEs to be able to reach international markets. To make this happen we must put in place the legal framework that creates a business-friendly environment by reducing compliance costs and seamless processing of transactions, by companies large and small, to reach global markets.”
Delivering tangible business gains
The economic case for adoption is compelling. The updated Quantitative Analysis of the Move to Paperless Trade Report shows that full implementation of digital trade frameworks across the Commonwealth could generate up to US$1.2 trillion in efficiency and growth gains by 2026, including US$90 billion in additional intra-Commonwealth trade.
For businesses, particularly micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), legal modernisation translates into faster transaction times, reduced compliance burdens, and access to new markets.
Real-world examples prove the business case. In jurisdictions that have reformed similar laws, transaction times have been reduced from months to hours, costs have dropped by as much as 80 per cent and productivity has increased by 60 per cent.
From policy to implementation
The launch in the Caribbean is not the end, but the start of a new phase of action. The Commonwealth Secretariat has committed to supporting member states through a regional pilot programme that encourages peer-to-peer knowledge exchange and cooperation between member states.
In addition, work has begun on the development of regional digital trade roadmaps to promote interoperability of laws across borders, strengthen regional economic corridors, and integrate supply chains into global networks.
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