11th International Seminar on Trade and Transport Facilitation

1. The seminar will build on the ten years of work, notably, the results of the two previous seminars on trade facilitation and multimodal data exchange, covering trade, transport and logistics in the region: the Black Sea - Baltic Sea digital transport corridor with possible extension in the direction of the Republic of Moldova and the countries of the South Caucasus and the Black Sea.
2. The seminar will focus on the development and practical application of a set of standards aligned to the reference data models of the UN Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business (UN/CEFACT), which aim at the digital transformation of data and document exchanges in multimodal transport. Experts develop this set of standards with support from a United Nations Development Account project in response to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic on connectivity, transport and trade. The project also encourages implementation tests in the region. At this stage, standards for the key documents accompanying goods transported by road, rail, inland water, sea and air are being finalized.
3. The seminar will involve, among others:
   • Decision-makers from ministries and departments of the countries along the main corridors, responsible for the digital transformation of multimodal transport and international trade, notably from the countries participating in:

• the transport corridors Black Sea - Baltic Sea, Moldova, Ukraine, Georgia and Azerbaijan, and the Transport Corridor Europe-Caucasus-Asia (TRACECA)
• the European Union’s Eastern Partnership countries, as well as Lithuania and Poland
• the Organization of Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC); and other countries.
  • Representatives of the European Commission Directorates-General for: Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR); Taxation and Customs Union (DG TAXUD) and Mobility and Transport (DG MOVE).
  • Representatives of secretariats of  regional organizations such as the UNECE, the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the Organization for Cooperation of Railways (OSJD), the International Rail Transport Committee (CIT), the International Road Transport Union (IRU), the International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations (FIATA), the European Association for Forwarding, Transport, Logistics and Customs Services (CLECAT); the Organization for Democracy and Economic Development (GUAM) and other organizations to foster innovative developments for interoperability and digital transformation of multimodal transport.

Representatives of the information and communication technology departments of these organizations, countries and agencies will discuss data sets and standards, and how they are applied.