[Index]
Bridging the gap between paper and electronic based economies
Geneva, 12 April 2001
UN Working Group to help developing countries
modernize trade procedures
The different trade facilitation measures required in developing and
developed economies were discussed at a Workshop on Trade Facilitation, present issues
and solutions held on 2-3 April 2001 by the International Trade Procedures Working
Group (ITPWG), a subsidiary group of the United Nations Centre for Trade Facilitation and
Electronic Business (UN/CEFACT).
"On the one hand there are countries that lack the basic
infrastructure which is essential for implementing modern technology, such as electricity
and telephone lines" said Hans Hansell, Deputy Director of the Trade Division of the
United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, "and on the other hand, there are
developed countries which already implement new technologies such as electronic business
solutions. A priority of our Working Group is to help bridge the gap between these
countries before it becomes too wide".
The Group has drawn up a new work programme, focusing on identifying
and analysing the regulatory barriers to trade, and defining solutions such as audit-based
controls, risk assessment, the creation of a "single window" for Governments, as
well as some new Customs initiatives. It will prepare guidelines to show countries how to
use benchmarking to measure trade-facilitation and service standards. Another principal
task will be to identify non-regulatory barriers to trade.
"We hope to present the problems experienced by the different
countries into challenges for their Governments and for the organizations engaged in trade
facilitation" said the Groups Chairman, Alex de Lijster of the Netherlands.
The Groups 35 members include experts from ministries, port and
customs authorities, export promotion agencies, etc. The Group was set up in 1997 under
the United Nations Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business for the
purpose of identifying, simplifying, harmonizing and aligning public and private-sector
practices, procedures and information flows relating to international trade transactions
both in goods and services.
For more information please contact:
Rocío Cárdenas
Trade Division
United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
Palais des Nations
CH - 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland
Telephone: (+41 22) 917 11 78
Telefax: (+41 22) 917 00 37
E-mail: [email protected]
Ref: ECE/TRADE/01/05