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Global Trade Facilitation Conference 2011

Global Trade Facilitation Conference 2011

Trade
12 - 15 December 2011
Palais des Nations Geneva Switzerland
GlobalTFConf_2011

The “Global Trade Facilitation Conference on Single Window and Supply Chains in the next decade” took place on 12 and 13 December 2011 in Geneva. Organized by the five UN regional commissions (UNECA, UNECE, UNECLAC, UNESCAP, UNESCWA), it was part of a new interregional initiative, the "Joint UN Regional Commissions’ Approach on Trade Facilitation". It was attended by over 200 representatives from government, the business community and international organizations.

According to delegates attending the conference, Single Window implementation has been a real success story across the world and now makes an important contribution to facilitating international trade and increasing competitiveness. Single Window facilities in many countries are already providing the business community with a streamlined process for submitting their export and import information to customs and other government agencies. As a result, clearance times and trade transaction costs have been drastically reduced. To share country experiences in this area, the regional commissions were asked to create a central repository for Single Window case stories from across the globe.

The conference requested the United Nations regional commissions to prepare a roadmap for enhanced Single Windows and information exchange in global supply chains . The roadmap will outline options for further developing Single Window facilities and permitting greater collaboration between these facilities in a regional and global context. It will explore requirements for an integrated Single Window approach working across Trade, Maritime and Port Community Systems along the entire supply chain.

The roadmap will also explore the possibilities offered by new concepts and technologies such as “data pipelines” and cloud computing offer for smarter information exchange across global supply chains. It will be drawn up in close consultation with all key stakeholders and will be presented at next year’s joint UN regional commission conference on trade facilitation.

The conference was complemented by several side events on 14 and 15 December, including the UNNexT Workshop on Single Window Project Planning and Implementation, a seminar on Port Community Systems organized by the European Port Community System Association (EPCSA), and a Joint Forum by the Asia Europe Alliance for Paperless Trade (ASEAL) and the African Alliance for Electronic Commerce (AAEC).

Conference Programme and other Downloads

Download the Conference Programme

Meeting Room Event Title Organizer
     
  Monday 12 December 2011  
Room XII Global Trade Facilitation Conference 2011 Connecting International Trade: Single Windows and Global Supply Chains in the next decade UNECE in collaboration with UNECA, UNECLAC, UNESCAP, UNESCWA
  Lunch for Speakers, hosted by SOGET and Bureau Veritas
Welcome Reception, sponsored by CrimsonLogic
  Tuesday, 13 December 2011  
Room XII Global Trade Facilitation Conference 2011 - continued -  
  Wednesday, 14 December 2011  
Room IX UNNexT Capacity Building Workshop Single Window Project Planning and Implementation UNECE and UNESCAP
Salle IV EPCSA meeting Executive Committee meeting / Committee Meetings
Seminar "How to develop a Port Community System"		 EPCSA
Room XI Joint Forum Asia Europe Alliance for Paperless Trade (ASEAL) - African Alliance for Electronic Commerce (AAEC) Towards a global alliance for paperless trade ASEAL and AAEC
Room S.1 Joint meeting of the five UN Regional Commissions Joint Regional Commissions Approach to Trade Facilitation UNECE, UNECA, UNECLAC, UNESCAP, UNESCWA
  Thursday, 15 December 2011  
Room IX UNNexT Capacity Building Workshop Single Window Project Planning and Implementation UNECE and UNESCAP

Acknowledgements
UNECE would like to thank Bureau Veritas, CrimsonLogic and SOGET S.A. for sponsoring the social events during the conference
UNECE would also like to thank Mr. Bram Klievink, Mr. Sietse Overbeek, Ms. Eveline van Stijn and Mr. Yao-Hua Tan from the Delft University of Technology; Mr. David Hesketh from Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs; Mr. Frank Heijmann from the Dutch Tax and Customs Administration and Mr. Jonathan Tat Tsen Koh from CrimsonLogic for their expert contribution to the preparation of the conference background papers.

Discussion Papers

The Data Pipeline

Imagine a data pipeline that integrates data from all the different sources in the supply chain. The data required by Customs and other regulatory agencies for an export declaration would be provided electronically at the point where a container is packed. These data are shared between the authorized stakeholders using latest Internet-based technologies.

Government agencies could use the data for better regulation and risk profiling. Private sector stakeholders could use them for better choices in the supply chain management and in the development of new services and products. Enhanced safety, security, legal compliance and reduced commercial risks are further benefits that the data pipeline would bring.

Download the full paper

Ten years of Single Window Implementation: Lessons learned for the future

A “Single Window” is a facility that allows parties involved in trade and transport to submit standardized trade-related information only once, at a single entry point. This minimizes the time and costs related to fulfilling all import, export, and transit-related regulatory requirements. The Single Window was proposed by UNECE in 2005 as a way to enhance efficient information exchange between trading communities and governments.

This paper examines the Single Window concept and analyses its practical development over the past decade. It examines regional trends in Single Window implementation and provides an overview of the emerging information technology that might impact its future development.

Download the discussion paper and its Annex

Provision of an infrastructure for exchange, recognition and use of documents in the process of trans-boundary interaction, including in the frames of single window systems’ work

(A document for discussion, presented by the Ministry of Communications and Mass Media of the Russian Federation)

Note : This paper was submitted by Mr. Alexander Sazonov, Nonсommercial Partnership "National Certification Authority", Regional Commonwealth in the field of Communications (RCC), at the conference and is made available on the website at his request. The paper was not discussed at the conference.

Download the full paper

UNNExT Capacity-building Workshop

UNNExT Capacity-building Workshop

 
Single Window Project Planning and Implementation
14-15 December 2011, Room IX, Palais des Nations
Geneva, Switzerland
  

The purpose

For many Governments, Single Windows have become a core instrument to facilitate trade, simplify procedures and implement electronic business. Furthermore, Single Windows are increasingly important to support regional integration of trade, security and regulatory compliance. Policy makers and implementing managers charged with the conceptualization, planning implementation and oversight of Single Windows projects need to have a deep and common understanding of the different steps, tasks and techniques required to implement and manage such complex projects. This involved advanced competence in very different domains such as trade policies, business process analysis, change management, electronic business and information technology management and standards, and Single Windows architectures.

Learning objectives

To enhance the managerial competence of participants in key project areas for SW planning and implementation including:

  • The understanding of how the improvement of trade procedures and documentation can increase trade competitiveness of a nation
  • The evolutionary development and roadmap of SW projects
  • A holistic SW Implementation Framework & Development Cycle
  • How to systematically prepare the SW architecture of the country, including key project components and deliverables
  • How to conduct the initial SW concept and the feasibility analysis
  • How to develop a High Level SW Master Plan
  • How to secure sustained support of key policy makers
  • How to put in place the effective inter-agency collaboration mechanisms

Target audience

Policy managers, decision makers, and practitioners in government agencies and other entities involved in international trade, who need to understand and address managerial issues for the planning and oversight of SW implementation projects in their country.  This training is useful for officials from customs, other inspection agencies, ministries of commerce, port authorities, businesses, academia/research institutes and Single Window planning agencies.

Downloads

Workshop Schedule

Download all the Presentations (Modules 1 to 11):        ENGLISH   RUSSIAN

Other Presentations

Side Events

The European Port Community System Association (EPCSA) Seminar on "How to Develop a Port Community System"

14 December 2011, Salle IV, Palais des Nations, Geneva

At the Seminar, the European Port Community System Association (EPCSA) launched a simplified EPCSA Guide outlining the steps involved in developing a Port Community System.

The Guide "How to Develop a Port Community System" is available for download.

For further information on EPCSA and Port Community Systems contact:

Mr. Richard Morton
Secretary General
tel.: +00 44 7796 334960
email: [email protected]
website: www.epcsa.eu

Joint Forum Asia Europe Alliance for Paperless Trade (ASEAL) - African Alliance for Electronic Commerce (AAEC)

14 December 2011, Salle XI, Palais des Nations, Geneva

ASEAL and AAEC jointly organised the Forum "Towards a global alliance for paperless trade".
 

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