Resources for National Trade Facilitation Bodies

National trade facilitation committees as coordinators of trade facilitation reforms  

17 April 2020

This new study, National Trade Facilitation Committees as Coordinators of Trade Facilitation Reforms, aims at updating, and building and expanding on the previous two studies. The study further incorporates new research areas including monitoring and evaluation, regional integration and e-commerce in the context of the mandate of NTFCs.

Analyzing the data collected from July-September 2019 revealed twelve major trends currently predominant in the evolution of NTFCs around the world. These trends have been categorized into three main pillars: institutionalization, functioning, and financing of NTFCs.

Repositories of COVID 19 response measures on cross-border movement of goods and persons

13 April 2020

Non-exhaustive list of links to available online resources from international organizations and industry groups that provides up-to date information about the ongoing developments in various countries and also provides an overview of the multitude of measures of countries' COVID-19 measures responses.

National Trade Facilitation Committees: Beyond Compliance with the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement?

22 December 2017

This study supplements UNCTAD’s recent research work on trade facilitation, including National Trade Facilitation Bodies in the World, published in 2015, The New Frontier of Competitiveness in Developing Countries: Implementing Trade Facilitation, published in 2013, Trade Facilitation in Regional Trade Agreements, published in 2011, and several technical notes issued since 2007, particularly the note on multiagency working groups on trade facilitation, issued in 2011.

National Committees on Trade Facilitation: current practices and challenges

2 June 2017

The purpose of this publication is to disseminate information on national experiences, best practices and recommendations with respect to the establishment and functioning of NCTFs. It is based on the experiences shared by more than 35 speakers during a workshop that took place on 8 June 2016 at the WTO and on the results of an electronic survey by the WTO Secretariat, which collected information on the practices of and challenges faced by more than 100 WTO Members.

Presentations delivered at the First International Forum for National Trade Facilitation Committees  

23-27 January 2017

The presentations of the Forum deal with all aspects of establishing and sustaining NTFCs, including the sharing of best practices and coaching techniques. Other presentations present how to access technical assistance for the NTFCs, including information on the challenges faced in identifying and sourcing necessary funding.

National Trade Facilitation Committees - (ITC, UNCTAD, UNECE)

2015

This guide gives developing countries a step-by-step approach to evaluate policy, organizational and funding options to create a detailed roadmap to set up National Trade Facilitation Committees, which are an obligation for countries implementing the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement. This is a joint guide by ITC; the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development; and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, including the United Nations Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business.

National Trade Facilitation Bodies - Recommendation N°4 - (UNECE)

2015

The revised Recommendation No. 4 integrates Guidelines that provide a detailed description of the steps for establishing the NTFB as well as a model terms of reference for an NTFB which countries use or customize based on their national context. It also provides a non-exhaustive list of those stakeholders that should be represented in an NTFB, including: importers, exporters, freight forwarders, carriers, customs, other government agencies, banks, insurance companies and others.

National Trade Facilitation Bodies in the World - (UNCTAD)

2015

This publication, based on an in-depth analysis of 50 trade facilitation bodies, provides the first quantitative analysis of existing national trade facilitation bodies and a first-hand set of recommendations extracted from the experiences of participating stakeholders. The study provides policy-oriented conclusions aimed at assisting those countries that are looking to set up or strengthen their national trade facilitation working groups.

Technical Note 18: Multi-agency working group on Trade Facilitation - (UNCTAD)

2011

The purpose of this note is to provide guidance on the institutional requirements and managerial aspects of a national trade facilitation coordinating mechanism, or National Trade Facilitation Working Group.

Trade Facilitation Handbook: Part I - National Facilitation Bodies: Lessons from Experience - (UNCTAD)

2006

Part I of this Handbook is intended to guide users in creating the institutional structure for processing trade facilitation measures. It focuses on one platform - the trade facilitation body - in the form of an interdisciplinary committee where private sector managers, public sector administrators and policymakers can work together towards the effective implementation of trade facilitation measures. Approaches to the setting up of a trade facilitation body by different developing countries are reviewed on the basis of case studies carried out by UNCTAD and relevant work by other institutions. From the review, key lessons are drawn for developing countries intent on establishing and operating trade facilitation committees.