Trade Facilitation and Single Window for the Customs Union

About the Project

Project Results

Events & Presentations

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About the Project

Since 2008, the project has provided methodological support and technical assistance to countries of the Customs Union (Belarus, Kazakhstan, and the Russian Federation) and the Eurasian Economic Commission, with the objective of improving the understanding, planning and implementation of trade facilitation measures, notably by establishing Single Window facilities. It has raised the capacity of policy-makers and experts to create an enabling environment for trade facilitation and the Single Window, using international norms, standards and best-practice recommendations for trade facilitation and Single Window implementation.
This project was supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation under the Russian Voluntary contribution. It has gone through three phases:

1. support for trade facilitation and the Single Window in the Russian Federation,
2. support for them in the Customs Union member States, working with the Eurasian Economic Commission; and
3. building the enabling environment for the Single Window in the Eurasian Union.

The project is progressing in two directions:

1. developing an enabling political and organizational environment for the Single Window, on which UNECE works with the team of experts of the Eurasian Economic Commission led by Mr Serzhan Duisebayev (Deputy Director, Customs Regulations and Law Enforcement Practice Department); and
2. developing an electronic information exchange system aligned with international standards, in collaboration with the teams developing the Integrated Information System for Mutual and Foreign Trade of the Customs Union (IISVVT). This system will act as the backbone for interorganizational exchange of trade information in the Customs Union.

The project improves the interagency, public-private and international cooperation for trade facilitation and Single Window implementation. It has contributed to a clearer understanding of the subject and the establishment of an institutional framework for planning and implementing Single Window and other trade facilitation instruments.
Six studies were drafted and over 9 capacity-building events were organized. A significant milestone was the adoption of Decision 68 of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council on 29 May 2014 on the Main Directions for Single Window development in the regulation of foreign economic activities. The recommendations adopted under the project served as the basis for key documents of the Customs Union and the Eurasian Economic Commission, including a key thematic paper and a draft Action Plan. A Working Group of the Eurasian Economic Commission was established on 5 September 2014 to finalize the Action Plan, which will be submitted for endorsement by the heads of state on 23 December 2014 for further implementation.