a borderless world: the OECD Ottawa Ministerial Conference and initiatives in electronic commerce

The emergence of electronic commerce as a mass-market phenomenon means that there are no longer geographic limits to the business market. This fundamental change to the conduct of commercial transactions has potentially far-reaching economic and social implications. This article reviews the main issues discussed at the Ottawa Ministerial Conference organized by the OECD in October 1998, including the roles of government and business, privacy and consumer protection, taxation, infrastructure development and access. The article concludes by detailing future work that needs to be done to facilitate the successful development of e-commerce.