INTERNATIONAL ROUNDTABLE "THE LEGAL REGULATION OF E-COMMERCE WITHIN THE WTO"

On February 20th, 2026, the Faculty of International Relations of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University hosted an international roundtable discussion, "THE LEGAL REGULATION OF E-COMMERCE WITHIN THE WTO," organized by the Center for WTO and International Trade Law. The roundtable was attended by foreign master's students from China studying in the International Law program, as well as faculty from the Department of International Law.

The event was held in a hybrid format, combining an offline session with online connections from international participants at Harbin Institute of Technology, allowing for a broader geographic scope of the scholarly dialogue.

The moderator was Aidana Aitukyzy Otynshiyeva, PhD, Director of the Center for WTO and International Trade Law. Z.M. Baimagambetova, PhD, Deputy Head of the Department of International Law for Research, Innovation, and International Relations, opened the international roundtable with a welcoming address, emphasizing the relevance of the topic amid the rapid digital transformation of the global economy. It was emphasized that the development of artificial intelligence technologies is creating new challenges and opportunities for the global trading system, requiring improved legal mechanisms at the national and international levels. The discussion focused on the current challenges and prospects for the legal regulation of e-commerce within the WTO.

The roundtable participants examined the evolution of international legal mechanisms regulating digital trade, the relationship between national legislation and multilateral obligations, and trade-related aspects of intellectual property protection in the digital environment. Of particular interest was the discussion of the formation of new rules for global e-commerce and the need to balance innovation, state sovereignty, and open market principles. The lively dialogue format not only facilitated the exchange of scientific approaches but also fostered the master's students' professional competencies, developing argumentation skills, and comparative legal analysis in preparation for their master's theses. Participants actively asked questions, shared research findings, and proposed their own visions for the future of the international trading system. The roundtable became an important platform for strengthening academic and international ties, expanding research collaboration, and promoting sustainable development ideas in global trade.