On 15 April 2020, the UNConference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), which is responsible for the discussions on e-commerce, digital economy, and digital policy, has taken leadership of the UN Group on the Information Society (UNGIS) from joint leaders -the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the UN Development Programme (UNDP) -for a year. The UNGIS is an inter-agency mechanism mandated for advancing the information and communications technology (ICT) policy coherence and programme co-ordination. It focuses on ICT-related development issues being tackled by the UN, for example, the growing digital divide unveiled by the COVID-19 pandemic. 'Our inter-agency cohesion and collaboration will ensure that our diverse digital competencies and services save lives and nurture livelihoods during the pandemic; and then anchor resilience and recovery afterwards in a most efficient and cost effective way,' said the new chair of the group, UNCTAD Secretary General Dr Mukhisa Kituyi.