Seminar

Date: 12 April (9:00) - 13 April (19:00) 2022

Venue: Garden Hotel, Emilbek Ailchiev 61, Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic

Language: Russian

Roundtable

Date: 14 April (9:00-19:00) 2022

Venue: Ministry of Economy and Commerce, Chui prospect, 106, Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic

Languages: Russian and English

The international seminar and the Roundtable on trade facilitation will be conducted in the framework the UNECE project “Strengthening the capacity of the Kyrgyzstan National Trade Facilitation Council to implement the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement”

Programme:

• 12 April – Seminar on “Cross-border e-commerce”  Agenda
• 13 April – Seminar on “Intra- and extra-regional cross-border trade”  Agenda
• 14 April – Roundtable “Trade Facilitation in the Digital Economy: Institutions and Development Programs”   Agenda

Target audience: officials of relevant state agencies and the National Council for Trade Facilitation, private sector representatives engaged in foreign trade, students of Kyrgyz Economic University named after M. Ryskulbekov.

Partners:

• Ministry of Economy and Commerce of the Kyrgyz Republic
• Kyrgyz Economic University named after M. Ryskulbekov

Background:

Aimed at supporting capacity building of the local stakeholders, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the M. Ryskulbekov Kyrgyz Economic University (KEU) for the period of May 2021 – April 2022. This MoU includes a UNECE grant to the KEU in trade facilitation to support the long-term development of trade facilitation experts in the Kyrgyz Republic, that will develop and implement relevant trade facilitation measures in the country. The Kyrgyz Republic identified 56 measures of the World Trade Organization’s Trade Facilitation Agreement (WTO TFA) as category C, implying that their implementation will require donor support. By developing the required expertise, this UNECE project is a concrete contribution to the successful implementation of the WTO TFA in the Kyrgyz Republic.

Under this grant, the KEU jointly with UNECE support will develop trade facilitation training modules on the following topics:

• WTO TFA and the role of National Trade Facilitation Committees
• Supply chain management
• Facilitation of import and export procedures
• Single Window implementation
• Cross-border e-commerce
• Intra- and extra-regional cross-border trade.

The modules are based on recommendations, e-business standards and guidelines developed by the United Nations Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business (UN/CEFACT) as well as resources from other international organizations, and will give particular attention to local practices, regulations and private sector needs. The newly established Center for Trade Facilitation at KEU will deliver these courses in Russian and English.

During 2021, the Competence Centre held two seminars where four modules of the course were presented to  participants from the Kyrgyz Republic and other Central Asian countries in collaboration with UNECE. Participants demonstrated profound interest in case studies showcased and best practices shared, emphasizing a high demand for such a course.

Resolution from the Round Table is available in English and Russian

For any information on the project and the events, please contact Alla Shlykova