Digital Economy Partnership Agreement (DEPA)
The Digital Economy Partnership Agreement (DEPA), a plurilateral digital-trade agreement between Chile, New Zealand and Singapore signed 11 June 2020 (open to accession). Organised in 16 Modules covering business and trade facilitation (paperless trading, e-invoicing, e-payments, logistics), treatment of digital products (no customs duties on electronic transmissions, non-discriminatory treatment, cryptography), data issues (personal information protection, cross-border data flows, no forced data localisation), wider trust environment (cybersecurity cooperation, online safety), business and consumer trust (anti-spam, online consumer protection, internet access principles), digital identities, emerging technologies (fintech, AI, government procurement, competition policy), innovation (public domain, data innovation, open government data), SME cooperation, digital inclusion, and institutional/transparency/dispute-settlement/exceptions/final provisions.
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Framework Domains (11)
DEPA Module 1: Initial Provisions and General Definitions
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| DEPA-1.1 | Scope |
| DEPA-1.2 | Relation to Other Agreements |
| DEPA-1.3 | General Definitions |
DEPA Module 2: Business and Trade Facilitation
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| DEPA-2.2 | Paperless Trading |
| DEPA-2.3 | Domestic Electronic Transactions Framework |
| DEPA-2.4 | Logistics |
| DEPA-2.5 | Electronic Invoicing |
| DEPA-2.6 | Express Shipments |
| DEPA-2.7 | Electronic Payments |
DEPA Module 3: Treatment of Digital Products
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| DEPA-3.2 | Customs Duties |
| DEPA-3.3 | Non-Discriminatory Treatment of Digital Products |
| DEPA-3.4 | ICT Products that Use Cryptography |
DEPA Module 4: Data Issues
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| DEPA-4.2 | Personal Information Protection |
| DEPA-4.3 | Cross-Border Transfer of Information by Electronic Means |
| DEPA-4.4 | Location of Computing Facilities |
DEPA Module 5: Wider Trust Environment
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| DEPA-5.1 | Cybersecurity Cooperation |
| DEPA-5.2 | Online Safety and Security |
DEPA Module 6: Business and Consumer Trust
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| DEPA-6.2 | Unsolicited Commercial Electronic Messages |
| DEPA-6.3 | Online Consumer Protection |
| DEPA-6.4 | Principles on Access to and Use of the Internet |
DEPA Module 7: Digital Identities
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| DEPA-7.1 | Digital Identities |
DEPA Module 8: Emerging Trends and Technologies
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| DEPA-8.1 | Financial Technology Cooperation |
| DEPA-8.2 | Artificial Intelligence |
| DEPA-8.3 | Government Procurement |
| DEPA-8.4 | Cooperation on Competition Policy |
DEPA Module 9: Innovation and the Digital Economy
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| DEPA-9.3 | Public Domain |
| DEPA-9.4 | Data Innovation |
| DEPA-9.5 | Open Government Data |
DEPA Modules 10-11: SME Cooperation and Digital Inclusion
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| DEPA-10.1 | SME Cooperation |
| DEPA-11.1 | Digital Inclusion |
DEPA Modules 12-16: Institutional, Transparency, Dispute Settlement, Exceptions and Final Provisions
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| DEPA-12 | Joint Committee and Contact Points |
| DEPA-13 | Transparency |
| DEPA-14 | Dispute Settlement |
| DEPA-15 | Exceptions |
| DEPA-16 | Final Provisions |
Your Compliance Coverage
If you comply with Digital Economy Partnership Agreement (DEPA), you already cover:
Maps to 7 other frameworks
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Digital Economy Partnership Agreement (DEPA)?
Digital Economy Partnership Agreement (DEPA) is a compliance framework from International - Parties: New Zealand, Singapore, Chile (signatories); South Korea (acceded 2023). Applicants: China, Canada (accession process ongoing). with 11 domains and 35 controls. The Digital Economy Partnership Agreement (DEPA), a plurilateral digital-trade agreement between Chile, New Zealand and Singapore signed 11 June 2020 (open to accession). Organised in 16 Modules covering business and trade facilitation (paperless trading, e-invoicing, e-payments, logistics), treatment of digital products (no customs duties on electronic transmissions, non-discriminatory treatment, cryptography), data issues (personal information protection, cross-border data flows, no forced data localisation), wider trust environment (cybersecurity cooperation, online safety), business and consumer trust (anti-spam, online consumer protection, internet access principles), digital identities, emerging technologies (fintech, AI, government procurement, competition policy), innovation (public domain, data innovation, open government data), SME cooperation, digital inclusion, and institutional/transparency/dispute-settlement/exceptions/final provisions. It is used by organisations to establish and maintain compliance with industry standards and regulatory requirements.
How many controls does Digital Economy Partnership Agreement (DEPA) have?
Digital Economy Partnership Agreement (DEPA) has 35 controls organised across 11 domains. The largest domains are DEPA Module 2: Business and Trade Facilitation (6 controls), DEPA Modules 12-16: Institutional, Transparency, Dispute Settlement, Exceptions and Final Provisions (5 controls), DEPA Module 8: Emerging Trends and Technologies (4 controls). Each control defines specific requirements that organisations must implement to achieve compliance.
What frameworks does Digital Economy Partnership Agreement (DEPA) map to?
Digital Economy Partnership Agreement (DEPA) maps to 7 other compliance frameworks. The top mapping partners are ISO/IEC 23894:2023 (6% coverage), OECD Recommendation on Artificial Intelligence (2024 Update) (3% coverage), OECD AI Principles (3% coverage). Use our comparison tool to explore control-level mappings between frameworks.
How do I get started with Digital Economy Partnership Agreement (DEPA) compliance?
Start your Digital Economy Partnership Agreement (DEPA) compliance journey by running a self-assessment on our platform to identify your current compliance posture. Our AI advisory can answer specific questions about Digital Economy Partnership Agreement (DEPA) requirements, and cross-framework mapping helps you leverage existing controls from other frameworks you may already comply with. Create a free account to access all 35 controls and track your progress.
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