unctad.org | Trade Facilitation

Trade Facilitation

Long waiting times at borders, inappropriate fees, cumbersome formalities, and inadequate or unclear rules and regulations, can all become serious obstacles to trade, and as a consequence adversely affect investment, employment and trade-led development.

UNCTAD assists developing countries in identifying their particular trade and transport facilitation needs and priorities, and helps them program the implementation of specific trade and transport facilitation measures.

UNCTAD organizes workshops and seminars at the regional and national levels, publishes relevant information and training material, and provides technical assistance through numerous projects.

News

22 July 2016ASYCER e-certification system launched at UNCTAD 14

A special event on “E-Certification: the Trade Facilitation Measure” was organized during the Fourteenth session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, in Nairobi on 21 July 2016.

22 July 2016Sustainable Freight Transportation for Agenda 2030 discussed at UNCTAD14

Discussing sustainable freight transport is both timely and topical as the world community moves ahead with the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (ASD) and the Paris Climate Change Agreement (COP21).

12 February 2016Germany to finance an UNCTAD project on transparent trade procedures in West Africa

UNCTAD's work with West African countries gains momentum thanks to German support for a new capacity-building project for Nigeria, Mali and Benin.

22 December 2015Reaping Benefits through Trade Facilitation: Ministerial panel discusses policies to bolster competitiveness, improve governance and enhance regional integration

A high-level panel on trade facilitation discussed opportunities and challenges for developing countries associated with the implementation of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement.

21 December 2015UNCTAD and TradeMark East Africa sign financing agreement to support trade portals, trade facilitation and trade and gender issues in the East African Community

Following the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding in July 2015, UNCTAD and TradeMark East Africa (TMEA) agreed to deepen their cooperation. With financing from TMEA, the two institutions will jointly implement a number of concrete projects for the benefit of the members of the East African Community (EAC).

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Meetings and Events

Start Date	Title	Location	Country
30 May-01 Jun 2016	Workshop for the National Trade Facilitation Committee of Burundi on Planning the Effective Implementation of the TFA within the East African Community	Bujumbura	Burundi
06-08 Jun 2016	Workshop for the National Trade Facilitation Committee of Tanzania on Planning the Effective Implementation of the TFA within the East African Community	Dar es Saalam, Tanzania
12-18 Aug 2016	Supporting Yemen in the implementation of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement	Khartoum	Sudan
14-18 Aug 2016	Improving stakeholder engagement and establishing a trade facilitation roadmap in Sudan	Khartoum	Sudan
29 Aug-01 Sep 2016	Implementing the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement in Ghana: Understanding International Standards and Recommendations for Trade Facilitation	Accra	Ghana
07-08 Sep 2016	Operationalization of Ivory Coast Trade Facilitation Committee and Launch of Empowerment Programme	Abidjan	Côte d’Ivoire
26-27 Sep 2016	Module 0: Operationalization of Liberia National Trade Facilitation Committee	Monrovia	Liberia
28-29 Sep 2016	Operationalization of Senegal Trade Facilitation Committee and Launch of Empowerment Programme	Dakar	Senegal
04-07 Oct 2016	Module 1: International Standards and Recommendations for Trade Facilitation	Abuja	Nigeria
17-21 Oct 2016	First African Forum for National Trade Facilitation Committees	Addis Ababa	Ethiopia