Page 427 - Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)

(c) share information, experiences, and best practices in Article 12.6: Electronic Authentication and Electronic Signature
addressing challenges related to the development and use
of electronic commerce; 1. Except in circumstances otherwise provided for under its laws and
regulations, a Party shall not deny the legal validity of a signature
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(d) encourage business sectors to develop methods or solely on the basis that the signature is in electronic form.
practices that enhance accountability and consumer
confidence to foster the use of electronic commerce; and 2. Taking into account international norms for electronic
authentication, each Party shall:
(e) actively participate in regional and multilateral fora to
promote the development of electronic commerce. (a) permit participants in electronic transactions to determine
appropriate electronic authentication technologies and
2. The Parties shall endeavour to undertake forms of cooperation implementation models for their electronic transactions;
that build on and do not duplicate existing cooperation initiatives
pursued in international fora. (b) not limit the recognition of electronic authentication
technologies and implementation models for electronic
transactions; and
SECTION B
TRADE FACILITATION (c) permit participants in electronic transactions to have the
opportunity to prove that their electronic transactions
comply with its laws and regulations with respect to
Article 12.5: Paperless Trading electronic authentication.

1. Each Party shall: 3. Notwithstanding paragraph 2, each Party may require that, for a
particular category of electronic transactions, the method of
(a) work towards implementing initiatives which provide for the electronic authentication meets certain performance standards or
use of paperless trading, taking into account the methods is certified by an authority accredited in accordance with its laws
agreed by international organisations including the World and regulations.
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Customs Organization;
4. The Parties shall encourage the use of interoperable electronic
(b) endeavour to accept trade administration documents authentication.
submitted electronically as the legal equivalent of the paper
version of such trade administration documents; and
SECTION C
(c) endeavour to make trade administration documents CREATING A CONDUCIVE ENVIRONMENT FOR
available to the public in electronic form. ELECTRONIC COMMERCE

2. The Parties shall cooperate in international fora to enhance
acceptance of electronic versions of trade administration Article 12.7: Online Consumer Protection
documents.
1. The Parties recognise the importance of adopting and
maintaining transparent and effective consumer protection

4 Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Myanmar shall not be obliged to apply this subparagraph 5 Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Myanmar shall not be obliged to apply this paragraph for a
for a period of five years after the date of entry into force of this Agreement. period of five years after the date of entry into force of this Agreement.

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