The Trade Facilitation Section of UNCTAD launches the renewed and interactive online Repository on National Trade Facilitation Bodies gathering more than 80 country cases.
Trade facilitation (TF) engages a wide and diverse range of public and private agents seeking to establish a transparent, consistent and predictable environment for border transactions based on simple and standardised Customs procedures and practices.
As public-private partnerships, TF bodies provide the coordination mechanisms and consultation platforms necessary for elaborating and implementing national or international TF measures to improve border transactions. Moreover, theses bodies enable successful TF reforms.
UNCTAD has actively participated and supported the establishment of TF bodies in developing countries, which have increased exponentially in the last 30 years. In line with this long-standing commitment, UNCTAD launches the renewed on-line Repository on National TF bodies around the world.
With a more interactive and user-friendly interface, the on-line repository is expected to assist member States in creating or strengthening TF bodies as well as provide useful information about country-cases from different geographical regions on the establishment and management of TF bodies.
Collected through research and surveys, the country-cases and data contained in the online repository provide information on different kinds of TF bodies which could be identified as:
- PRO-committees,
- National Trade and Transport Facilitation Committees,
- National TF Committees, and
- WTO Negotiations on Trade Facilitation Support Groups.
