The 21^st century is the era of information and communication technology. This sector is crucial for the world economy, not only due to its considerable size, but also because it is an important driver of productivity, innovation and ultimately, economic growth. World exports of IT products have tripled in value over the last 20 years, and account for almost 10 per cent of world merchandise trade. The Information Technology Agreement (ITA) has played a vital role in promoting affordable access to those technologies, and ITA participants account for 97 per cent of world trade on IT products.

ITA includes 82 WTO Members, the majority of them developing countries and economies. As many developing countries and economies, including some LDCs, are getting more involved in e-commerce and entering into digital economy, they are giving more importance to the ICT sector, and some of them have shown interest in joining the ITA.