Now that a new administration and Congress have taken their positions, one of the key policy areas that deserves serious scrutiny is the issue of global electronic commerce and how to counsel 'developing nations' to make the policy choices that will help contribute to their global connectedness rather than being passed by. The digital divide is as important globally as it is domestically, if not more so -- because at least domestically, markets, philanthropy, and government policy seem to be improving access and digital engagement. Little is happening on the international front -- and developing nations run the risk of being left behind the digital leaps being made by the rest of the world if they don't institute sound public policy frameworks that contribute to the healthy establishment of electronic commerce.

Catherine Mann is Senior Fellow at the Institute for International Economics and author of "Global Electronic Commerce: A Policy Primer." Her book is a policy primer for business and policy leaders in developing nations -- and one of the most important new pieces of work dealing squarely with the IT Objectives declared at the last G7 Okinawa Summit. We've asked Catherine to join us for a discussion that takes the objectives of her book a bit further -- and ponders what the U.S. and other developed nations should do to achieve greater subscription by developing nations to frameworks that promote e-commerce.