Guidance Material

White Papers

White paper is a guidance document which provides either a best practice view of a given topic or provides suggested ways forward without going to a formal recommended practice.

Name	Description	Link
White Paper on the use of Artificial Intelligence in Trade Facilitation	This white paper describes the ongoing technological revolution which brings new era of prospects where innovations and progress can fundamentally alter how we live and work together. Artificial intelligence (AI) belongs among the emerging and enabling technologies that have the potential to broadly impact and reshape the global economy and international trade across all its fields.	English
White Paper on eDATA Verifiable Credentials for Cross Border Trade	This white paper describes a highly scalable operating model for digitisation and trust of cross border trade based on verifiable credentials, linked data, and decentralised identifiers. It provides national regulators with implementation guidance.	English
White Paper on encouraging Private Sector Participation in National Trade Facilitation Bodies	This white paper evaluates practices and solutions to strengthen private sector participation in National Trade Facilitation Bodies (NTFBs) to make them more effective and to strengthen the impact of NTFB to trade facilitation reforms. Public-private dialogue is vital for trade facilitation as it ensures a service-centered approach and collaboration. NTFBs should therefore strive to get meaningful contribution and commitment from relevant private stakeholders.	English
White Paper on Open Finance to Support Trade Facilitation	This white paper investigates the economic paradigms of open banking and open finance in order to understand how they can back trade worldwide. It provides an overview of open banking in the European Union and in seven countries. In addition to defining fintech and open finance, the paper describes open finance use cases for trade facilitation and suggests ways forward for policy and decision-makers.	English
White Paper on IoT Standards for Trade Facilitation	IoT is a network that connects uniquely identifiable “things” or devices to the Internet. These devices have sensing capabilities and can, potentially, be programmed. This paper is therefore focuses on the role of UN/CEFACT standards can play in defining data and process flow between IoT devices operated by various parties as part of an international supply chain and how this data can be integrated into existing supply chain automation processes in an interoperable manner.	English
White Paper Overview of Blockchain for Trade	Blockchain, which is one form of Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT), offers opportunities to increase the reliability and security of trade transactions. The repetition of data among multiple ledgers in a network, as well as the immutability of information after it has been integrated into the blockchain, can increase levels of confidence for both traders and regulators.	English
White Paper on Technical Application of Blockchain to UN/CEFACT Deliverables	Blockchain technology is one of the most talked about topics in the sphere of information technology as well as in the facilitation of electronic business. The cryptocurrency blockchain applications are well known and well-publicized, however, this technology has the potential to influence the way that we do business today, as its use expands to new areas.	English
White Paper on Integrated Track and Trace for Multimodal Transportation	This White Paper provides a high-level overview of integrated track and trace for multimodal transportation and attempts to bridge the gaps that exist in the identification schemes used to identify consignment movements and commercial systems.	English
White Paper on Smart Containers	Smart Containers are taking the digital age of shipping one step further beyond paperless processes by embracing the Internet of Things (IoT) to support enhanced decision-making by the various sectoral stakeholders. This provides greater visibility to the stakeholders within the transaction as well as to regulatory agencies who need detailed information on the consignments before they arrive at the border.	English French Russian
White Paper on MSMEs-ISMIT	The paper goes through the challenges MSMEs face in international trade and explains how eServices platforms can provide solutions for transport, finance, border clearance and other in support of MSMEs	English French Russian
White Paper on Women in Trade Facilitation	Women face key challenges in international trade and participating in the facilitation of international trade. This White Paper takes an academic approach to identify these challenges and scans the literature for concrete measures to help rectify disadvantages or discriminations women might face.	English
White Paper on Data Pipeline Concept for Improving Data Quality in the Supply Chain	This paper provides a model for recuperating data at the source and thus attempt to improve data quality. It also explores the possible information that can be input or output from a Pipeline.	English
White Paper on Trusted Transboundary Environment	This document aims to provide guidance on establishing a mutual recognition framework between countries in view of ensuring the legal significance of information, when higher levels of reliability are required or are desired.	English French Russian
Core Principles for Managing Risks and Contingencies in the Operation of a Systemically Important Single Window	As a Single Window is a single entry point for the submission/response between the private sector and the government, it represents an essential infrastructure for the national economy. Any disruption can negatively impact the economy. This White Paper examines those disruptions and provides base principles for dealing with them.	English French Russian
Technical Note on Terminology for Single Window and other electronic platforms	This document provides the key elements for an official definition of Single Window, and proposes an alternative vocabulary for mechanisms that are similar in nature or function to Single Windows but do not satisfy all of the criteria of Recommendation N° 33. The objective is to create a controlled vocabulary in order to be clear about the scope and nature of any given mechanism.	English French Russian
White Paper on Reference Data Model	Reference Data Model is a methodology to organize data into logical groupings, creating a subset of the larger UN/CEFACT Core Component Library. Such groupings encourage interoperability and accountability throughout the international supply chain.	English French Russian
White Paper on Paperless Trade	This joint paper with the World Economic Forum seeks to provide an overview of the history and base principles of paperless trade. It brings support to the articles of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement	English French Russian

Green Papers

Green Papers study a given topic and provide suggested ways forward or approaches. There is not yet a clear suggested way forward and the paper lays out multiple scenarios in view of eventually proposing a way forward through a White Paper or a Recommendation.

Name	Description	Link
Green Paper on Trade Finance as a tool for Trade Facilitation	This paper articulates the linkages and complementarities of Trade Facilitation activities with the financing of international commerce under the broad array of Trade Finance and Supply Chain Finance solutions	English
Green Paper on Sustainable Tourism Experience Programs	This paper on Sustainable Tourism aims to study how Experience Programs in tourism can be a catalyst to enhance local economies and promote decent employment at a micro-, rural level. According to the World Tourism Organization, international tourism in 2017 accounted for 1,340 billion USD of receipts, 55% of which represents leisure, recreation and holidays.	English

Guidelines

Guidelines provide technical assistance for implementing UN/CEFACT standards.

Name	Description	Link
Reference Guide on Code Lists and Identifiers in the Textile and Leather Value Chains	This Reference Guide identifies and describes code lists and identification schemes supporting the business processes and transactions for traceability and transparency in the textile and leather value chains.	English
Guide to Drafting a National Trade Facilitation Roadmap	This trade facilitation strategy provides a framework for national reform, defining the rationale, strategy, implementation and conditions. It can be used for a whole-of-government trade facilitation reform or to implement specific trade facilitation measures.	English, French, Russian and Arabic
Reference Data Model (RDM) Guideline	This guideline includes material that focuses on the business community doing further discovery and analysis work. Some of the contents of this guideline are not typical of this type of technical document. However, they are critical for successful adoption and standardization in this area to move forward.	English
Code Management User Guide	This user guideline describes how to define and apply restrictions and extensions to code lists in UN/EDIFACT messages as well as UN/CEFACT XML messages. In addition, it describes example processes for validating those messages. The process could be done in one-phase, for which message structure and value constraints are validated simultaneously (so-called ‘coupled’) or in two-phases, for which these constraints are validated separately (so-called ‘decoupled’).	English
Message Construction Guidelines for Core Components Business Document Assembly (CCBDA)	This guideline describes how to construct UN/CEFACT compliant XML messages according to Core Component Business Document Assembly Technical Specification (CCBDA)	English
Electronic SPS Certificate (e-CERT)	This Implementation Guide describes and gives guidance to implementation of Electronic SPS Certificate (e-CERT), which is on the one hand HUB compliant and on the other hand still facilitates bilateral exchange. The aim is to facilitate a standardized implementation in countries which wish to implement e-Certification for SPS certificates.	English

Executive Guides

Executive Guides are developed in order to provide a high-level overview in a single page of a given UN/CEFACT deliverable. They are meant to give a quick overview and explain where to find further information on the topic..

Name	Description	Link
Smart Connectivity	This guide outlines the importance of common standards and common procedures in the cross border exchange of trade related information.	English French Russian
Transboundary Movement of Waste	This guide highlights the electronic messages created by UN/CEFACT which can be used for the exchange of information related to the Basel Convention on transboundary movement of waste.	English French Russian
Smart Containers	This guide explains the functioning and advantages of using smart-devices on transport equipment in order to communicate status, improve security awareness, enhance product quality controls and improve compliance.	English French Russian
e-CMR	This guide explains the general background of the e-CMR (electronic consignment note), the UN/CEFACT e-CMR standard and how this can be used to improve the exchange of data.	English French Russian
UN/LOCODE	This guide aims to help governments, government agencies, industries and private companies to understand better how the UN/LOCODE codification system and how this can be used to improve the exchange of data.	English French Russian
eInvoicing / Cross Industry Invoice	This guide aims to help governments, government agencies, industries and private companies to understand better how the UN/CEFACT CII e-Invoicing standard can be used to improve the exchange of data.	English French Russian
UN/EDIFACT	One of the cornerstone of UN/CEFACT standards, UN/EDIFACT provides a centrally maintained and controlled syntax that has been stable since the 1980s	English French Russian
Core Component Library and Core Component Technical Specification	This is one of the bases of UN/CEFACT’s role as semantic hub in the international standardization community. CCL is an encyclopedia of all information which is pertinent in international trade.	English French Russian
Small Scaled Lodging House Information Process	Tourism is a major economic sector for many countries around the world. This standard helps smaller lodging facilities to promote their national tourism and diversify their tourism market.	English French Russian
IMO FAL	The IMO FAL declarations are obligatory for all maritime vessels entering ports. UN/CEFACT has worked closely with the IMO and other standards organizations to provide a clear standard for the electronic exchange of these requirements, based on its Multi-Modal Transport Reference Data Model (MMT RDM).	English French Russian
Reference Data Models	UN/CEFACT RDMs facilitate the use of international standards by packaging the information by the sector of activity. They provide the basic semantic library of all information and code lists necessary for data exchange in each sector.	English French Russian
eCommerce	Electronic Commerce – transactions between buyer and seller initiated on an online platform. Many of UN/CEFACT’s existing standards can apply to this business process as outlined in this short guide.	English French Russian
Streamlining Formalities and Documentary Requirements	This guide aims to explain the basis of streamlining formalities and documentary procedures related to the import, export and transit of goods. The goal is to assist governments to identify redundant information and to apply data harmonization and standardization tools and techniques to simplify these formalities.	English French Russian

Briefing Notes

The UNECE secretariat prepared a number of briefing points on key issues related to either UN/CEFACT deliverables or Trade Facilitation issues.

Name	Description	Link
Briefing note on the importance of Semantics within Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business for SDG 17	This briefing note discusses the importance of clear semantic data-exchange standards and how this supports both WTO TFA as well as the United Nations SDGs. UN/CEFACT aims to be the semantic hub for all trade-related data-exchange standards.	English French Russian
Briefing note on sustainable textile value chains in the garment and footwear domain for SDG12	This paper explores how traceability and transparency of value chains can help advance the sustainability of the garment and footwear sector.	English
Transparency in textile value chains in relation to the environmental, social and human health impacts of parts, components and production processes	This paper identifies basic principles, possible solutions, and provides recommendations for an international framework initiative on transparency and traceability for sustainability patterns in the clothing sector.	English
Briefing note on United Nations Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business (UN/CEFACT) Contributions to UN Sustainable Development Goal 12 – Responsible Production and Consumption	This briefing note discusses why decoupling economic development from environmental degradation and ensuring fair progress through more responsible production patterns and consumption practices, is essential for green and inclusive economic development.	English
Briefing note on Blockchain for SDG	This briefing note discusses the possible contributions that blockchain, an emerging innovative technology, is making or could make to advance the achievement of the SDGs..	English
Briefing note on the contribution of UN/CEFACT to UN Sustainable Development Goal 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls	This briefing note discusses why gender matters for trade and how the integration of the gender dimension into trade facilitation can help attain Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5.	English
Briefing note on the contribution of UN/CEFACT to UN Sustainable Development Goal 14	This briefing note provides an insight into how UN/CEFACT’s work to develop a standard for the exchange of fishery messages for the sustainable management of fisheries (FLUX) contributes to Sustainable Development Goal 14.	English French Russian
Background paper: facilitating trade to feed the world	Through its contribution to trade facilitation and supply chain optimisation, UN/CEFACT makes international and national logistics more efficient and cost-effective. As a result, the food produced is more likely to reach the market in good condition, be consumed and is less likely to be wasted.	English

Brochures

These brochures are aimed to provide general information on UN/CEFACT and its work.

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Guidance Material

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