BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:unctad.org BEGIN:VEVENT UID:6a5951db94650 DTSTART:20260723T080000Z SEQUENCE:0 TRANSP:OPAQUE DTEND:20260723T130000Z LOCATION:Cotonou\, Benin SUMMARY:Technical workshop to advance transit\, transport and digitalizatio n reforms along the Cotonou–Niamey Corridor CLASS:PUBLIC DESCRIPTION:As part of the implementation of its component of the GGSP-COTO NI Project\, the United Nations Trade and Development (UNCTAD) will organi ze a two-day technical workshop on 23–24 July 2026 in Cotonou\, Benin. T he project is funded by the European Union under the Global Gateway Initia tive and implemented in partnership with Enabel and TradeMark Africa (TMA) . The workshop will present the findings of UNCTAD'\;s technical miss ions and stakeholder consultations conducted since May 2026 and discuss th e first technical orientations for the implementation of the UNCTAD compon ent of the project. It will also provide an opportunity for national stake holders to validate the updated diagnostic\, confirm priority areas for in tervention and establish a common understanding of the reforms to be pursu ed in the areas of Transit\, Transport and their Digitalization (TTD).Buil ding on more than five years of UNCTAD'\;s work supporting transit\, t ransport and trade facilitation reforms in West Africa\, the workshop form s part of the implementation of the Déclaration quadrilatérale de Niamey and its accompanying roadmap. It reflects UNCTAD'\;s commitment to su pporting nationally owned reforms while promoting greater regional regulat ory convergence\, improved institutional coordination and enhanced interop erability of digital systems along the Cotonou–Niamey Corridor.Objective sThe workshop seeks to:present the results of UNCTAD'\;s consultations and technical diagnostic missions carried out in Benin\;validate the prel iminary mapping of transit procedures\, institutional interactions and dig ital systems supporting transit operations\;identify and confirm priority reforms relating to transport\, transit and digitalization\;discuss opport unities to strengthen institutional coordination and interoperability betw een existing digital platforms\;identify priority capacity-building activi ties for both public institutions and private sector stakeholders\; andagr ee on the main priorities that will guide the implementation of the UNCTAD component of the GGSP-COTONI Project during the next phase of activities. Key themesDiscussions over the two days will focus on:implementation of th e Déclaration quadrilatérale de Niamey and its roadmap\;governance of Tr ansit\, Transport and their Digitalization (TTD)\;mapping and analysis of transit procedures from the Port Autonome de Cotonou (PAC) to the border w ith Niger\;regulatory convergence for road transport and transport interme diation\;interoperability between digital systems\, including the Guichet Unique du Commerce Extérieur (GUCE)\, SIGMAT\, SYGFR and related informat ion systems\;recommendations to improve the efficiency\, transparency and predictability of transit operations\; andthe implementation roadmap for t he UNCTAD component of the GGSP-COTONI Project from July to December 2026. ParticipantsThe workshop will bring together representatives from key publ ic institutions\, the private sector and development partners\, including the Ministère du Tourisme et du Commerce Extérieur\, the Comité Nationa l de Facilitation des Échanges (CNFE)\, the Direction du Transport Terres tre et de l'\;Automobile (DTTA)\, the Agence Nationale des Transports Terrestres (ANaTT)\, the Direction Générale des Douanes et Droits Indire cts (DGDDI)\, the Port Autonome de Cotonou (PAC)\, SEGUB\, Webb Fontaine\, representatives of professional transport organizations and the private s ector\, as well as the European Union\, Enabel\, TradeMark Africa (TMA) an d UNCTAD experts.Expected outcomesThe workshop is expected to establish a shared understanding of the current state of transit\, transport and digit alization procedures along the Cotonou–Niamey Corridor and to validate t he principal findings of UNCTAD'\;s technical assessment. The discussi ons will contribute to identifying priority reforms\, strengthening coordi nation among national institutions and development partners\, and defining a common roadmap for the implementation of the UNCTAD component of the GG SP-COTONI Project.Through its participatory and inclusive approach\, the w orkshop will reinforce national ownership of the reform process and contri bute to improving the efficiency\, transparency and interoperability of tr ansit\, transport and trade facilitation systems\, thereby supporting the competitiveness of the Cotonou–Niamey Corridor and regional economic int egration in West Africa.<\;p class="\;text-align-justify\n\nView mee ting on unctad.org\nhttps://unctad.org/meeting/technical-workshop-advance- transit-transport-and-digitalization-reforms-along-cotonou DTSTAMP:20260716T214915Z END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:6a5951db946c8 DTSTART:20260724T080000Z SEQUENCE:0 TRANSP:OPAQUE DTEND:20260724T130000Z LOCATION:Cotonou\, Benin SUMMARY:Technical workshop to advance transit\, transport and digitalizatio n reforms along the Cotonou–Niamey Corridor CLASS:PUBLIC DESCRIPTION:As part of the implementation of its component of the GGSP-COTO NI Project\, the United Nations Trade and Development (UNCTAD) will organi ze a two-day technical workshop on 23–24 July 2026 in Cotonou\, Benin. T he project is funded by the European Union under the Global Gateway Initia tive and implemented in partnership with Enabel and TradeMark Africa (TMA) . The workshop will present the findings of UNCTAD'\;s technical miss ions and stakeholder consultations conducted since May 2026 and discuss th e first technical orientations for the implementation of the UNCTAD compon ent of the project. It will also provide an opportunity for national stake holders to validate the updated diagnostic\, confirm priority areas for in tervention and establish a common understanding of the reforms to be pursu ed in the areas of Transit\, Transport and their Digitalization (TTD).Buil ding on more than five years of UNCTAD'\;s work supporting transit\, t ransport and trade facilitation reforms in West Africa\, the workshop form s part of the implementation of the Déclaration quadrilatérale de Niamey and its accompanying roadmap. It reflects UNCTAD'\;s commitment to su pporting nationally owned reforms while promoting greater regional regulat ory convergence\, improved institutional coordination and enhanced interop erability of digital systems along the Cotonou–Niamey Corridor.Objective sThe workshop seeks to:present the results of UNCTAD'\;s consultations and technical diagnostic missions carried out in Benin\;validate the prel iminary mapping of transit procedures\, institutional interactions and dig ital systems supporting transit operations\;identify and confirm priority reforms relating to transport\, transit and digitalization\;discuss opport unities to strengthen institutional coordination and interoperability betw een existing digital platforms\;identify priority capacity-building activi ties for both public institutions and private sector stakeholders\; andagr ee on the main priorities that will guide the implementation of the UNCTAD component of the GGSP-COTONI Project during the next phase of activities. Key themesDiscussions over the two days will focus on:implementation of th e Déclaration quadrilatérale de Niamey and its roadmap\;governance of Tr ansit\, Transport and their Digitalization (TTD)\;mapping and analysis of transit procedures from the Port Autonome de Cotonou (PAC) to the border w ith Niger\;regulatory convergence for road transport and transport interme diation\;interoperability between digital systems\, including the Guichet Unique du Commerce Extérieur (GUCE)\, SIGMAT\, SYGFR and related informat ion systems\;recommendations to improve the efficiency\, transparency and predictability of transit operations\; andthe implementation roadmap for t he UNCTAD component of the GGSP-COTONI Project from July to December 2026. ParticipantsThe workshop will bring together representatives from key publ ic institutions\, the private sector and development partners\, including the Ministère du Tourisme et du Commerce Extérieur\, the Comité Nationa l de Facilitation des Échanges (CNFE)\, the Direction du Transport Terres tre et de l'\;Automobile (DTTA)\, the Agence Nationale des Transports Terrestres (ANaTT)\, the Direction Générale des Douanes et Droits Indire cts (DGDDI)\, the Port Autonome de Cotonou (PAC)\, SEGUB\, Webb Fontaine\, representatives of professional transport organizations and the private s ector\, as well as the European Union\, Enabel\, TradeMark Africa (TMA) an d UNCTAD experts.Expected outcomesThe workshop is expected to establish a shared understanding of the current state of transit\, transport and digit alization procedures along the Cotonou–Niamey Corridor and to validate t he principal findings of UNCTAD'\;s technical assessment. The discussi ons will contribute to identifying priority reforms\, strengthening coordi nation among national institutions and development partners\, and defining a common roadmap for the implementation of the UNCTAD component of the GG SP-COTONI Project.Through its participatory and inclusive approach\, the w orkshop will reinforce national ownership of the reform process and contri bute to improving the efficiency\, transparency and interoperability of tr ansit\, transport and trade facilitation systems\, thereby supporting the competitiveness of the Cotonou–Niamey Corridor and regional economic int egration in West Africa.<\;p class="\;text-align-justify\n\nView mee ting on unctad.org\nhttps://unctad.org/meeting/technical-workshop-advance- transit-transport-and-digitalization-reforms-along-cotonou DTSTAMP:20260716T214915Z END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR