The latest developments accelerating the implementation of Single Windows for export and import procedures around the world

1. Single Windows – The
New Accelerators
Virginia Cram-Martos
Director, Economic Cooperation
and Trade Division, UNECE
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The United Nations Centre
for Trade Facilitation and
Electronic Business
(UN/CEFACT)
Who are we?

3. UN/CEFACT: Who we are and what we do
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UN/ECOSOC
UN/ECE
UN/CEFACT
UN
• Objectives
 Simple, transparent and effective
processes for global business
 Efficient and automated exchange of
information
• Outputs
 Global Trade Facilitation and
Electronic Business
Recommendations and Standards
• Means
 Public Private Sector Partnership –
over 200 experts from government
and business
 Meet virtually every week plus two
face-to-face Forums per year

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Accelerator 1
Mature Standards,
Frameworks and
Guidelines

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Recommendation 33 on
Single Window
Parties involved in trade and
transport
Standardized information and
documents
Single entry point
Regulatory requirements
Single submission of individual
data elements

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Tools for Simplification, Harmonization, Standardization
For Information and Communication Technology
•Rec25 – Use of the UN/EDIFACT Standard
•Rec14 – Authentication of Trade Documents
•Rec26 – Interchange Agreements
•Rec31 – Electronic Commerce Agreement
•Rec32 – Recommendation on e-Commerce Self Regulatory
Instruments
•UN/TDED – Trade Data Element Directory
•UN/CCL – Core Component Library
For Trade Procedures
• Rec18 – Facilitation Measures related to International
Trade Procedures
• Rec4 – National Trade Facilitation Bodies
• Rec40 – Consultation Approaches
For Trade Documents
• Rec1 – UN Layout Key for Trade Documents
• Rec6 – Aligned Invoice Layout Key
• Rec22 – Layout Key for Standard Consignment
Instructions

7. SW Legal
Framework
Setting up
legal
environment
Using of
International
standards, legal
instruments and soft
law
Using UN/CEFACT
checklist

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Standards are Key to SW Implementation

9. All UNECE and UN/CEFACT
Recommendations, codes,
standards and publications are
available for free on our website

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Accelerator 2
Learning from
Experience

11. UN National TF Bodies repository
http://unctad.org/en/DTL/TLB/Page
s/TF/Committees/default.aspx 11

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Accelerator 3
Partnerships

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6.7m hits from
170 countries
in 2015
330,000
unique
visitors
 A web-based, interactive
knowledge management tool
Available in Arabic, English,
French, Russian and Spanish
 2 new Itineraries
• Setting up a National Trade
Facilitation Body
• Developing a National Trade
Facilitation Roadmap
 Updated information on TF
Organizations
 New case stories
 Updated brochure and training
materials
tfig.unece.org

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Accelerator 4
New
Developments

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The WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement
Creating commitments for
•All countries to implement a SW
•Financial support to developing countries for
SW development and implementation
•Monitoring (via the new WTO TF Committee)

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NEW WORK
Recommendation on Single Window Interoperability
Four areas:
• Business needs
• Semantics
• Governance
• Legislative
Objectives:
• Regional integration
• Trade facilitation
• Risk analysis purposes
• Advanced security declarations
• Preparation border volumes
• Combat illicit activity

19. Other New Recommendations
• New Recommendation
on Public-Private
Partnerships in TF
• New Recommendation
on monitoring efficiency
of trade and transport
corridors and systems

20. Rising Awareness of Resource Limitations
 Longer term trends toward lower «classical growth»
 Global warming and moves toward a circular economy
 Energy, infrastructure and financial shortages
 Increasing competetion
Means that waste is no longer an option, we can no longer:
• Underuse infrastructure
• Overpay officials thru corruption
• Lose competitiveness thru unpredictability
• Lose time and money
ALL issues that Single Windows help to address
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21. NEW Technology & Innovation
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 Greater, and more affordable,
connectivity in developing countries
 Moving from data-push to data-pull
systems
 Block chain for unalterable messages
 The Internet of Things
 Cheaper and cheaper RFID,
embedded nano transmitters
 Cloud computing
 Deep Learning on Big Data

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Accelerator 5
YOU!
Because Nothing
Happens Unless
Someone Makes it
Happen

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THANK YOU
You are invited to contact us at
trade@unece.org