(EN&RU) Guide to the Implementation of Art. 1 para. 3 of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement: Trade Facilitation Enquiry Points
The World Trade Organization (WTO) Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) entered into force on 22 February 2017. The United Nations Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business (UN/CEFACT) defines trade facilitation as “the simplification, harmonization and standardization of the procedures and associated information flows required to move goods and provide related services from seller to buyer such as payments”1. Trade facilitation can help simplify, standardize, harmonize, and modernize international cross-border trade, thereby increasing trade volumes and making international trade faster and cheaper, as well as more accessible for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and landlocked developing countries. Trade and trade facilitation have the potential to contribute to resilient, inclusive and sustainable recovery after the pandemic.
According to Art.1 of the TFA, WTO members shall promptly publish information related to international trade to enable WTO members (and all interested parties, accordingly) to acquaint each other with their trade rules and ensure transparent and predictable conditions of international trade. WTO members are also encouraged to make available further trade-related information on the Internet and to establish or maintain enquiry points. In compliance with TFA Art. 1.3 these enquiry points should provide the necessary information.
Readiness Assessment for Cross-Border Paperless Trade: Azerbaijan
This report provides an assessment of the Republic of Azerbaijan’s readiness for cross-border paperless trade, i.e., the conduct of international trade on the basis of electronic data and documents. Following a brief review of the state of play in trade facilitation implementation in the Republic of Azerbaijan, findings from the technical and legal readiness assessments for cross-border paperless trade are presented. Recommendations on both technical and legal aspects of cross-border paperless trade are then provided, followed by an initial action plan for the Republic of Azerbaijan to move forward.
The complete set of Cross-Border Paperless Trade Readiness Assessment reports can be accessed here.
Readiness Assessment for Cross-Border Paperless Trade: Philippines
This report provides an assessment of the Philippines’ readiness for cross-border paperless trade, i.e., the conduct of international trade based on electronic data and documents.
A team of experts conducted this assessment following readiness checklists developed by the ESCAP Interim Intergovernmental Steering Group on Cross-Border Paperless Trade Facilitation, of which the Philippines is a member. National consultation on facilitating cross-border paperless trade was co-organized by the Philippine Bureau of Customs (BOC) and ESCAP on 8 March 2021, when preliminary findings from the visits and interviews were further reviewed, consolidated and validated.
The report is co-published by ESCAP and the Philippine Bureau of Customs (BOC).
The complete set of Cross-Border Paperless Trade Readiness Assessment reports can be accessed here.
Digital and Sustainable Trade Facilitation: Global Report 2021
This report reviews the progress of trade facilitation reforms across 144 countries, based on the fourth UN Global Survey on Digital and Sustainable Trade Facilitation. The analysis is based on 58 trade facilitation measures that are classified into four groups (General Trade Facilitation, Digital Trade Facilitation, Sustainable Trade Facilitation and Other Trade Facilitation) covering both binding and non-binding WTO TFA measures, as well as measures beyond the scope of WTO TFA. The report aims at enabling countries and development partners to take a forward-looking approach to trade facilitation, better understand and monitor progress, support evidence-based public policies, share best practices, and identify emerging capacity-building and technical assistance needs.
For more information on the UN Global Survey on Digital and Sustainable Trade Facilitation and other reports, please visit untfsurvey.org
Airship Technology for Air Connectivity and Humanitarian and the Caribbean and the Pacific
The Airship transport alternative, in its diverse engineering variants, has the potential to be a game-changing technology with significant development in recent years. It offers the technical capabilities to make a broad contribution to the optimization of mobility and logistics networks in isolated communities and territories, especially but not only in Small Island Developing States (SIDS). This is particularly important in the context of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, as in the event of a disaster, different aid agencies are deployed with support in the distribution and logistics of perishable and essential cargo, equipment, and assistance personnel. This innovative mode should be incorporated into the transport matrix (both nationally and regionally), for the latter to move towards more efficient, sustainable, and resilient networks.