Martin Munu (M.L.)

I am a PhD Candidate at the Institute for Globalisation and International Regulation (IGIR), Faculty of Law, Maastricht University. Previously, I worked with the Economic Policy Research Centre (EPRC) in Uganda as Research Analyst, Trade and Regional Integration. I also worked with Southern and Eastern African Trade, Information and Negotiations Institute (SEATINI) Uganda as a Programme Officer, Influencing Bilateral and Multilateral Trade Negotiation Systems as well as with Consumer Unity & Trust Society (CUTS) International, Nairobi as Assistant Programme Officer, Trade and Development.

I am passionate about democratic governance and human rights as critical issues in realising sustainable development. I have been involved in a number of initiatives at national, regional as well as global levels, for instance, the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Ministerial Conferences and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Conferences as well as Conferences on trade and regional integration in Africa. My research interests are on trade policies, trade negotiations, regional integration and investment for sustainable development. 

My Phd research is focusing on trade negotiations on e-commerce: An analysis of their potential impact for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises growth in Developing countries. Electronic commerce (e-commerce), defined as the order and purchase of goods and services using electronic means, is one of the key areas where members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) are pushing for an agreement. The research seeks to examine the key components that e-commerce negotiations cover and their implications for Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) in developing countries, with examples drawn from African countries that have not crossed the digital divide. The study intends to construct a new analytical framework for analyzing e-commerce agreements that takes into consideration a development approach other than the dominant market-oriented approach.