Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, which was declared by the WHO on 11 March 2020, and in response to the emergence of new variants, countries have imposed, eased and re-imposed various restrictions on daily life, including for the entry and exit in ports. This has resulted in disruption and delay, with implications for the performance of commercial contracts for the carriage of goods.

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.

The current project focuses on reporting formalities in the seaports of Ukraine as a part of global supply chains. The crossing of multimodal transport corridors at seaports leads to the need to use the UN/CEFACT multimodal transport reference data model (MMT RDM) as a core tool for data harmonization and seamless sharing. There is also a need to link this tool with the requirements of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), national and regional regulations. The project will result in practical recommendations for the further development of digitalization of documentary procedures in Ukrainian seaports.

The objective of the project is to assess the present state of the ship-shore interaction, identify customary practices, formulate the concept of positioning of a national maritime Single Window (MSW) in regional and global multimodal transport corridors and supply chains, and then perform practical tests to prove the concept.

The objective of this project is further development of the digital transport documents that could provide seamless information flows accompanying cargo flows between countries along the GUAM transport corridor. Due to its position in the middle of the cargo transport routes between Europe and Asia, the use of UN/CEFACT standards and recommendations for cargo information sharing along this route makes much sense.

The focus of the project is on the practical application of the data models and standards to facilitate real-world transport operations that take place along this transport route. This is achieved by creating digital twins of real business documents that are mapped to the UN/CEFACT multimodal transport reference data model (MMT RDM) to ensure interoperability both in terms of changing jurisdictions and modes of transport along the route.

The SMGS Consignment Note Standard Package was developed as part of the United Nations response to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic under the United Nations multiagency project “Transport and Trade Connectivity in the Age of Pandemics: UN solutions for contactless, seamless and collaborative transport and trade”.

This electronic document equivalent Standard Package consists of the following elements:

This Report serves as a preparation to the research of trade and transport corridors going though the Central Asia and establishes the necessity of digitalization of multimodal transport data as well as exchange of documents along those corridors through the use of UN & UN/CEFACT standards.

This Project is the joint initiative of the UNECE and the Ministry of Transport of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

The relevance of this project is the current common interest of all the countries in the region to jointly develop the transport links.

Freight transport operations poses the risks during the pandemics, especially if it is not fully computerized. As documents and goods continue to be subjected to physical checks for customs and other regulatory purposes, crew members and staff at border-crossing points and control terminals are exposed to the risk of contagion by the nature of their work. in this context, the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) and intelligent transport systems (ITS) is directly relevant to the pandemic response and recovery policies.Optimization of automation and digitalization can reduce the need for human interaction, making cross-borders transport safer and more resilient to disruptions. In this context, this technical note aims to offer policy recommendations for policy responses using new technologies and smart road solutions to preserve the regional transport connectivity in the time of the pandemics and other similar disruptions. 

ASYREC Meets the Need for Swift Processing of Humanitarian Aid in Crisis Situation