sustainable trade facilitation
Transcript
Summary
Rename Speakers
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It.
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Hello?
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Can you hear us?
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Yes, now we can. Yes.
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Yes.
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Particip.
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So we have 216
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participants already.
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Are they already in the meeting?
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Yes.
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Okay, so we can start.
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Yes, we can start.
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All right. It is now a little past 1:30 Geneva time. Good afternoon from Geneva and good evening. Good morning to everywhere else. And welcome to this these two workshops on Sustainable Trade facilitation and the UN Trade Digitalization Index. Actually, you get two in one in these workshops because we do it almost back to back. But there are actually two workshops. Just for your information, we have a little more than 1,000 registered participants for these workshops. Right now we are around 250, 60 that have already joined us. And I suggest that we start because we have a quite packed program. My name is Paul Hansen. I'm Chief of Trade Facilitation in UN Trade and Development. And with me here is Jan Duval from unscap, Chief of Trade Policy and Facilitation section. And Jan will be moderating this session or this first session. I will be moderating the second session. Just a few household rules. First of all, if you have questions or comments, those that are online, please use the Q and A. And we will try to address as many of your questions as possible. And then secondly, this session is recorded for those of you that wish to come back to it or for those of you that have colleagues that would like to see this afterwards so you can, on our website, then access the recording afterwards. So I think without any further ado, I will hand over to Jan Duval, who will be moderating this first session on sustainable Trade facilitation. Progress made and way forward. Jan, the floor is yours.
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Thank you very much.
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Oh, I'm seeing. Oh, I'm on screen now. Okay, so good afternoon to everyone
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online. Mostly we are only a small group here in person in Geneva.
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So this first session, I'm very happy to be here.
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We are organizing those sessions because, as you may know, the UN Regional Commissions ontad collaborating on UN Global Survey on Digital and Sustainable Trade Facilitation that.
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We.
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Organize every two years, where we collect data on the implementation of digital and sustainable trade facilitation measures. And so we just released new data, I believe, in July 2025. So now we are organizing additional events to try and go a little bit deeper on the data collected and the implications. So this is one of the workshops we're organizing in that context. So that first session is on Sustainable Trade facilitation. Progress made and way forward. So we are going to try and focus quite specifically on a Part of the survey which is sustainable trade facilitation measures. And I'm sure as you will hear it covers agriculture, trade facilitation measures, trade measures for women, trade facilitation measures for SMEs and also now green trade facilitation measures. And so following the presentation by ANTAD of the state of play on sustainable trade facilitation, we're going to have additional complementary presentation by experts. Mr. Anders Reinberg from the ICC International Chamber of Commerce is also director for the Global alliance for Trade Facilitation, Maria Teresa Pisani. She's good long term collaborator on the UN Global survey and many other things related to paperless trade that we are doing in scap. She's a chief AI of Trade Facilitation section unec. And AI is not for artificial intelligence, it's for ad interim. Sorry, I just realized this after I said it. And then we have Salah, Salah Khan, who is the Program Management Officer at at UNEP responsible for e cite. So he's going to tell us a little bit about this. After those four presentations we're going to have two discussants. Jesse Nicol, who is a counselor and senior dispute settlement lawyer as well from the WTO first time we met. I'm very happy to meet you. And then Silvia Sorescu from OECD who is also supposed to join us. I'm not 100% clear whether she's supposed to be in the room with us or online, but we will figure this out as we go. Last person in the in the program. So with no further ado, I think I can hand over back the floor to to Paul to make the presentation on sustainable trade facilitation.
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Very good. Thank you Jan. And, and I'm sorry to disappoint you, I don't have an AI in my title so there's no artificial intelligence to assist me unfortunately. So that probably will become clear through the presentation. Thank you, Jan. And so we will go into this presentation a little bit more in detail and recent survey that we have done. So let's try and see if we can manage the presentation here if we go to the next slide.
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Yeah. So for those of you that have maybe or are not so familiar with the global survey, there is actually a website and under the picture here you will see the
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HTTP for the website unsurvey.com and you can or.org and you can go in and visit this. I would invite you to visit this, go in and look at the figures which are broken down into quite some Detail according to global figures, but also regional figures. And I think this is quite interesting. And you can also play around with the figures a little bit in here if we go to the next slide. Actually, the Global Survey on Digital and Sustainable Trade Facilitation, it is the sixth time that UN is doing this survey and it is done by the five UN Regional Commissions and UN Trade and Development. Initially it was only the five Regional Commissions and three years ago I believe we from UN Trade and Development joined this survey in the 2025 edition. It covers 177 countries and it covers 62 trade facilitation measures and that is WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement measures. And then what we call PLUS plus, which is the enlarged trade facilitation on sustainable trade facilitation measures. And this covers issues like digital trade facilitation, paperless trade, cross border paperless trade, sustainable trade facilitation. So for for instance, small and medium sized companies on agriculture and on women. And lastly in this edition we have also included trade facilitation for E commerce, green trade facilitation and trade finance. So again I would welcome and invite you to visit the website and where you can go into detail. But I will try and go through some of the main results from this year's survey. So if we go to the next slide, this is the overall global implementation rate broken down in the various categories that we are using. Transparency, formalities, institutional arrangement and cooperation, paperless trade and cross border paperless trade. And on the right hand side you will see the global average on implementation which is around 70%. And then you will see broken down according to regions. Some regions are doing very well, developed countries, it is no surprise that they have implemented or have a very high implementation rate. But there are other regions, such as for instance Southeast Asia, Southeast Europe that are doing well. And there are a few regions that maybe need to increase their efforts in the implementation.
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If we then include also in the next slide the measures around trade facilitation for small and medium sized companies
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and also on agriculture, the global implementation rate falls. And that is not so surprising because these measures are not obligatory measures or are not measures that are included in the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement. These are additional measures that countries can take in order to improve trade facilitation in various groups. Some of them are covered by the tfa, but some of them are maybe not. So here we are seeing implementation rate globally of around 67%. And again developed countries and Southeast Asia are doing particularly well. So the picture is more or less the same.
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Now, if we are then moving into the next
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slide, here we can see how the development has been since the last survey we made in 2023. And there according to the global average, which is now on the left side. And from there we can then break it down into various regions, but also break it down towards the right side. You will see also broken down for landlocked developing countries, for least developed countries, and for small island developing nations. As you will see from this slide, there has been improvement in the implementation of trade facilitation everywhere over a broad bank. But in particular, and I think that is interesting, the increase has been remarkable in sub Saharan Africa in least developed countries with 8% and with landlocked developing countries with a 9% increase. So I think we can see that those countries that are maybe needing to do more are also those countries that we are where we are now seeing that the implementation efforts are bearing fruit and that they are joining up with countries that maybe previously had implemented more. So I think this is very positive to see, and it is very positive to see that there is development over a broadband. If we move to the next slide, then we can also see the implementation broken down on the various categories, starting from the left side on transparency, formalities, institutional arrangements, paperless trade, cross border paperless trade, and then some of the additional elements that this survey is measuring that maybe we do not see so clearly from other surveys and definitely not through the WTO figures, because here these issues are not defined, such as trade facilitation for SMEs, agricultural trade facilitation, trade facilitation and women and trade finance and trade facilitation. And here you will also notice again, there is development from 2023 to 2025 everywhere. And in particular some of those issues that are not core issues of the WTO trade facilitation, they are the ones that has the biggest growth. So cross border paperless trade, trade facilitation for ASMEs, agricultural trade facilitation and trade facilitation for women. And I think again, this is very positive to see that there is more and more focus on some of these, these issues that maybe previously was more marginal, but that we increasingly are focusing on.
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If we move to the next slide, then we will see a slide that now includes issues around trade facilitation for E commerce and green trade facilitation. What do we mean by these terms? Well, first of all, these terms are new in this year's survey. And when we talk About E commerce, we specifically look at some of those obligations or some of those measures that are benefiting or are valuable for E commerce, such as, for instance, do countries have de minimis regimes, are there E commerce trade agreements and is there immediate release procedures for E commerce? And when we are talking about green trade facilitation, specifically on waste and green goods, on for instance the e citis permits, so for endangered species, and also on sustainable reporting. And here you will see certainly that there is
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certain areas where there is
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pretty good implementation, but there are other areas where we are kind of lacking behind. When we look at the geographical distribution, it is natural that the implementation percentages here are not as high, because these are new issues that has not been focused on maybe so much in detail, but nevertheless, we see that there is development in all areas, there is implementation in all geographical areas on these issues. But if we look at the figures also, these are maybe some of the areas and some of the issues we can discuss where additional attention has to be looked at in the coming years on trying to implement further elements around E commerce and green trade. If we talk about, for instance, E commerce now, de minimis regimes are of course very much in focus in many countries, together with the tariff issues. So maybe this is something that also will impact, for instance, de minimis rules implementation in the future. Moving to the next slide, we can then look at where we see that there is the most implementation of various measures and maybe the least implementation of various measures. And again on the left hand side column, we have tried to break it down in from the top, the more traditional elements, transparency, formalities, institutional arrangements. Then those lines in yellow are addressing trade facilitation for SMEs, agricultural trade facilitation, trade facilitation for women. And then below that we see some of the new areas that we have included, namely on E commerce trade, green trade facilitation and trade finance. And you will see that we then in the next column mentioned first those that were the most implementation. And I do not need to go through all of them, but in general, if we just take the top implemented measure on transparency, online publication of import, export and transit regulations, 97% where countries have either fully implemented or started to implement. And the figure 55.7% is countries that have fully implemented this measure. So the first number, 97% are countries that have either started or fully implemented, and 55% are countries that have fully implemented. So I think this is very much evidence that transparency is one of those obligations that countries really are focusing on taking serious and it is of course one of those areas that is very helpful for industry. If we then move on to least implemented. And here we then come to on transparency Advanced publication Notification of Trade Regulation and there you will see that the figure is then down to 88%. It is still pretty good where countries either have fully implemented or partially implemented and 62% where countries have fully implemented. So I think if we look at transparency, both most implemented and actually also least implemented, the figure is pretty good. But if we move down along then the various issues and maybe we can move down to the category trade facilitation for SMEs, trade related information measures, that very much is going hand in hand with transparency. But if you look at the least implemented measures, small and medium sized enterprises access to single window. Countries that either have implemented have started is at 54%. And countries that have fully implemented this measure now we are down to 16%. So here for small and medium sized enterprises the trade facilitation impact is still to be fully gained. And therefore I think it is quite clear from this that there are certain areas in our survey where we clear clearly can see that there is much more to do. I will not go through all of these. You can study these and you can go into this presentation, you can go into the website and study these in much more detail. But I think if we look at the right hand side column on the least implemented measures and look at some of these issues for great facilitation for small and medium sized enterprises, agricultural trade facilitation and moving further down E commerce green trade facilitation here there is definitely much work to do at national level and also at multilateral level where we can together jointly focus on these issues to get these implemented.
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If we are then moving on to the next slide and I will only in detail kind of introduce the first slide here, there are similar slides for other areas. But if we specifically look at the state of implementation of trade facilitation measures for small and medium sized enterprises globally, we can then look at breaking down the various components that we are measuring. So we are starting by trade related information measures for small and medium sized enterprises, small and medium sized enterprises in national committees, other special measures that benefit small and medium sized enterprises. We have then also focused at small and medium sized enterprises in AEO schemes and finally small and medium sized enterprises access to single windows. And here you see the dark blue part. Here is where countries have fully implemented the kind of lighter blue is partially implemented. The light light blue is Then indicating pilot states of implementation Gray is not implemented. And the last is we have no information. And you will see the. The scale from trade related information measures on the top fully implemented we are pretty. It's pretty good. It's around 55% right? And where then partially imp. Then we move all the way up to 80%. But as we move down here and come all the way down to Both SME in AO schemes and also SMEs access to single window here, we can clearly see that the implementation even with pilot states is barely over 50%. And there is still a lot of countries that have to start implementation and start focusing on these areas. So again for SMEs a lot of work to be done and a lot of focus for countries and maybe also multilaterals to start assisting in this area. And we have then slides, similar slides on agricultural trade facilitation. It is the same. You will see on the right side the breakdown on what it is that we are asking in the survey. So special treatment for perishable goods, SPS testing, SPS national standards and E application and issuance of SPS certificates. And again the picture is the same for the first part. Special treatment for perishable goods. It is pretty good. We are almost at 90% when we look at either full or partial implementation. But whereas when we come down to some of the digital measures, E application and issuance of SPS certificates, the full implementation is around 30. With the partial implementation we are around 60% implementation and pilot and
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not started yet. Then we still have quite a lot to do. If we move on to state of implementations for agricultural trade or for women in trade, I believe it is, although the heading here is wrong, so it should say state of implementation for women in trade. You will also see on the right side what we have measured. Are there women membership of national trade facilitation committees? Are there special measures that are benefiting women and are there policies and strategies where women are encouraged to participate? And here I think we can clearly agree that there is still a lot to do in many countries the full implementation is barely reaching 20% in any of these measures. There is measures underway, but there is still a lot to do. And if we then move to the final slide, and these are some of the takeaways that I have noted here and that maybe can also be noted and discussed. So first of all there is clear momentum and there is still clear positive implementation. But focus should know now be widened to also focus more on implementation of trade facilitation measures that are sustainable, inclusive and digital paperless trade growth is there. But there is also clear evidence that cross border systems and cross border trade here is still quite weak. In some regions it is has a very positive and had reached very good levels amongst other Asia Pacific where there is an agreement on this. But in other areas we still have to do much more.
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Small and medium sized enterprises are not yet that well integrated in into the advanced systems. So for instance into the digital systems. However they have access to trade information and there is a positive trend. Gender responsiveness and gender inclusion in trade facilitation is still at an early stage and I want here to try and promote some of the good practices. And one of these that we always promote is for instance in Ghana where the National Trade Facilitation Committee has a special subcommittee on gender and trade facilitation. And I think this is a very good practice that many other countries could learn from. So if there is interest in this, we are certainly ready also to assist with this. But again to implement strategies and policies that support gender responsiveness and trade facilitation is not yet that regular an occurrence. Agricultural trade facilitation is very strong on the perisible goods facilitation and also on the SPS infrastructure. But the digital part is lacking behind and that's maybe a general conclusion that there is still a lot of work to be done in the digital area. E commerce and trade facilitation is progressing. There are rules here, but again AEO and cross border E commerce having specific rules and obligations and measures here are rare and need to be given further attention. And finally, green trade facilitation is by far the least developed area with low implementation, but certainly an area that should be given much more focus in the future and where we need to think much more how we can contribute both at national level and from multilateral side also to encourage more implementation in this area. So I will stop here. Again, I will encourage you to visit the website to look at the figures for your country for regions and at global levels and then I look forward to the discussion. Thank you very much.
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Thank you very much Paul for the comprehensive presentation of the survey.
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So as I'm sure I understood from the presentation, sustainable trade facilitation
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in the survey covers in particular
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trade facilitation measures for SMEs, trade attention measure for agriculture, trade association measures for women, and now a new
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area that we just added for 2025, green trade facilitation measures. And so it was very clear that essentially all of those areas except possibly agricultural trade facilitation measures are less implemented than many of the traditional areas covered in trade facilitation. And then from a policy making point of view, I mean, the question that comes in is, is it good enough to have a general trade facilitation program and trade facilitation measures that apply to everybody, or do you really need to include in a trade facilitation
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program action plan, do you need to have trade facilitation measures specifically focused on sectors, on specific sectors, on special groups that have been identified as needed, particular support, and also measures specifically designed with the climate change crisis or the environment in mind? So that's really the broad question. And then
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from the un, from the ones who actually designed and implementing the survey, the answer to that question would be yes, otherwise they would not be including the survey at this point. But if you look at national plan for trade facilitation around the world, you still don't have in many cases those sector specific measures in place, for example. So that's, that's an important thing to think about. We have three more presentations, so I'm asking everybody to, to keep to time, which is about, I think 10 minutes we did, or something like this. And then if you can highlight emerging good practices as much as possible in your presentation, I think that would be very useful. So next in the list is.
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Thank.
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You very much and thank you very much for, for the presentation and for the invitation. For those of you who don't know the Global alliance, just a quick word is that we are a public private partnership initiative that helps developing countries implement trade facilitation. Originally tfa, but now slightly beyond that. And we work together with local chambers of commerce, global business, but of course also governments and UN agencies and others in our implementation and in the work that we are doing. And I wanted to touch in particular upon the green and environmental aspects and at least based on what Paul was mentioning and also, Jan, that this is, this is a topic where there is more work required and also more science required, more and more evidence required on
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what has been done. But perhaps first there's a general observation from our conversations with business. And I realize this is perhaps both stating the obvious and swearing in church, but trade facilitation when we talk to business does not carry the weight it did a couple of years ago. Neither does it sometimes when we talk to the governments. But if we speak about supply chain resilience, if we speak about public health, if we speak about the topics that trade facilitation solves, Those are top of mind for business and for government. And I think this is something for those of us who love these topics and love discussing them. I think it's something worth keeping in mind and something that we're trying to push more and more to promote not just best practices, but also the realization that this doesn't solve all issues, but it does solve a lot of what business and governments are worried about at the moment. And this is not least true when it comes to sustainability and the greening of trade, which is of course an extremely important topic and one that is sincerely in need of a lot more work. So perhaps zooming in on that and also mentioning on the fact that there is that we need more evidence on this, I think we are in these days or this week actually publishing a paper called New Goods Not Paper that is specifically focusing on the experience of the E5 solution where we worked with, obviously based on IPPC and FAO's Efyto Hub, but also based and looked at previous research, not least from Yan, who I think pioneered this topic with actually looking at greenhouse emissions and what trade facilitation solves. And not to get into too much details on the fight so nor on the conclusions of our report, but it is pretty evident, even though, and again, back to Paul's point, only 5% of certificates issued are digital. And yet even despite that, if we're looking between 2018 and 2024 before it has been able to reduce greenhouse emissions, our estimates are at least by 63,300 CO2 equivalent, or 2.9 million trees planted. So there is a lot of potential in this area and it's a lot of interest both from the private sector that we're talking with to solve these issues and to work on it. But I think also, and this is also coming back to sort of our general take on things and our point of view, bad implementation kills good policies, it kills good digitalization, it kills good, good sustainability practices. And an experience that we often often see, and that I think all of us are quite, quite experienced with now, is if you look at how something works in theory and how something works in practice, if you look at how something what is being reported to the WTO and you look at a border post, you're not always going to find the same results and conclusions. And this is, and this is not least the case when it comes to SMEs and women in trade. Obviously, as the alliance, we work with global businesses, ikea, hm, Adidas and Nike. They also struggle and they also have issues when things are not working. But they do have a compliance department, they do have people managing customs. And again stated obvious, but if you're a company with four people training from a developing country, you're not going to have that luxury, you're not going to have that privilege. And the system needs to work and it needs to function for you. And this is something that many, I mean, at least I've been talking to Bill before here on the World bank, but many of us are working on and something I think needs to be stepped up as well. And I think also coming back to where we see needs, I think an area and again back to environmental is circular economy. This is again buzzwords, things that people care about, things that businesses are talking about, but where the sheer requirements in terms of certificates, in terms of obligations makes it nearly impossible sometimes. Yes, it's about policies, but it's also about implementing things such as the Basel Convention or other things to make sure that e waste the textiles can move. And I think this is at least as far as we're seeing. It's an area that needs more focus and that we also from a private sector point of view, hear a lot of companies talk about. But I think also and I'll keep it short but, but maybe to, to end with also, since a big topic of mine here is digitalization. And obviously a lot of the work that the alliance does is on digitalization and simplifying processes through digitalization or digitization of documents. But that alone and again state in August but will not solve things. And we need to look at it in a bigger picture. We're talking about women and SMEs in trade. There's still plenty of border posts out there and borders that doesn't have toilets for women. So how are you can have the most digitalized system in the world, but if you can't access a toilet, well, then you're going to have an issue.
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And that's not something that we might be able to solve necessarily, but I.
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Think we need to and again, coming.
SPEAKER_06
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Back to the points that previously mentioned, we need to look at this from a broad point of view. If we're talking about digitalizing systems, if we're talking about implementation, we need to look at it holistically and we need to look at it from a user point of view, talking to the chambers of commerce and other stakeholders, talking to business, talking to people who will be using the systems and making sure that it works for them. I think this is some of what we're focusing on. There's a lot More. But Jan, in the interest of time, I'll keep it to that.
SPEAKER_05
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Thank you. Thank you very much for your, for your insights. I think the prioritization of, of measures, right. And it's not only trade facilitation measures actually is any trade related measures is I think a very important point.
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Right.
SPEAKER_05
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And it goes back again to the idea of what do you want? What should you include in your trade facilitation program. You know, in some countries it may make a lot of sense to actually to focus your trade fashion program on agriculture and not on something else because agriculture is so important for your country.
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Know.
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This can be SMEs, can be gen, can be women. I mean, so I think it will vary quite a bit. And then, and then you, you mentioned toilets, right?
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Everybody caught that, I'm sure.
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But this, I think the brother, the symbol of that is we're talking about infrastructure.
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Right.
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And this always come back as well. A lot of, you know, trade facilitation. Trade facilitation, Trade facilitation. But what if the basic infrastructure is not in place at the border, for example?
SPEAKER_04
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Right.
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So I think there's no, no easy answer to that. And then definitely you need to have both. And so it's important that the trade infrastructure program includes facilitation component. But it's also probably very important that the facilitation program don't be implemented without any thought about infrastructure. So thank you very much for, for those insights. Let me move to the next speaker. And somehow my, I cannot see the program anymore, but I think it's Maria Terzara.
SPEAKER_03
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Okay, thank you very much, Jan. And good afternoon. On some side, I'm here in Geneva, so my presentation is going to be about the performance on sustainability trade facilitation for the UNEC region, the region of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe. It's a diverse region because with 56 member states, our region includes advanced economies. North America, the uk, the European Union, the Russian Federation and transition economies, including from the Central Asia, a sub region that we share with ESCAP that we cover together with ascap, including six landlocked developing countries. So diverse region. And actually
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the results of our survey show that diversity. Now for the 2025 survey, 48 out of the 56 member states, states have some feasibility in the survey. So they come to these member states for their valuable input and contribution. Very important what the survey shows is that the overall implementation rate in the region has increased between 2023 and 2025 from 79% to 82% which is well above the global average that Paul was mentioning. Global average is 70.5%. So we have reached 82%. And notably we have a very interesting increase on the performance for cross border paperless trade. The increase in the implementation of measures surveyed is 6%. And this is certainly thanks to increasing attention to the adoption of supporting strategies, policies, regulations, but also implementation and application of implementation standards. In the UK for instance, the digitalization strategy. 2025, 2030. The European Union this year has just passed a new regulation on paperless freight transportation.
SPEAKER_04
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And you speak a little bit louder because people are saying that they can't hear.
SPEAKER_05
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Yeah. And I, I think this. And the microphone must be somewhere around this area.
SPEAKER_03
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Yeah, okay.
SPEAKER_05
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Oh, it's just here.
SPEAKER_04
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So just shout like I did.
SPEAKER_03
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Thank you for this attention. So that 6% increase on cross border paperless trade, I would say very much linked on acceleration in the adoption of policies, strategies, legal frameworks, implementation of supporting standards. And I was giving the example for instance of the UK with the Digitalization Strategy 2025, 2030 at the European level this year, the regulation on paperless freight transport, the EFTI regulation that actually also mandates the application of UNCPAT standards, the BISHOP reference data model or for the Central Asian region, the roadmap of the Special Program for Economies of Central Asia, the SPECA roadmap on digital connectivity. So all these policy regulatory developments contribute to its good performance on post war pictures trade for the region. Now if we move to the performance on the sustainability dimension
SPEAKER_03
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and a set of measures covered by the survey in this slide, actually we can get an overview of the overall performance on all sets of measures. This graph included in the report
SPEAKER_03
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shows the blue dots that represent the measures and ensure the distribution of the percentages of implementation relative to average implementation
SPEAKER_03
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category with a light zoom bar in the center. And here we see that the sustainable trade facilitation measures have some of the lowest implementation rates, something that reflect the global trend. Trade facilitation for SMEs reached 64%. Trade facilitation measures for women businesses that lands at 44%. And green trade facilitation, which is the new set of measures introduced
SPEAKER_03
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for the 2025 survey beyond the measurement of the performance and implementation of silos still is at 29% for the region. Now if we move on to the next slide, we see the performance a little bit more detailed level on each group of system availability measures.
SPEAKER_03
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Yes, and here we can see that agricultural trade facilitation which the highest implementation rate among the Sustainable trade facilitation measures very interesting within the region, the performance of the Russian Federation of the European Union plus four with the plus four, including Canada, Sweden,
SPEAKER_03
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Switzerland and the UK and the performance of Caucasus and the Turquoia which is above 90% and above. While Eastern Europe, including Moldova and Belarus, there is progress made there. The percentage is 42% only when we go to the trade facilitation for SMEs. In fact, we have good progress since the 2023 survey with plus 15% and overall for the region we have reached an average implementation rate of 64%. Here particular attention to SMEs is devoted in North America, Caucasus and Turkey and Central Asian region. And I will give an enrollment summit examples of the specific measures that have been undertaken by these countries. Moving on to the next slide
SPEAKER_03
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for trade facilitation and women and green trade facilitation, as we have seen also at the global level, also for the UNEC region these are the least implemented measures only 44% and 29% implementation rates respectively. On trade facilitation and women, Russian Federation has 20% implementation of the measures included in the survey. While for the Green trade facilitation, again the Russian Federation is performing very well on the measures surveyed. But I would also
SPEAKER_03
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like perhaps to mention about progress in Turkey in the EU +4 with 44 and 31% respectively. And on the Green trade facilitation, for instance, the European Union I think TIXA mentioned interesting sub region
SPEAKER_03
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to look at because over the last two, three years I would say there has been a real acceleration on the adoption and implementation of regulation of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, the Due Diligence Directive. These are very important regulatory developments that are going to influence and shape
SPEAKER_03
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trade with let's say with external partners to the European Union in order to export to the European Union. In this regulation there is a strong emphasis on compliance with environmental social governance standards. So the understanding of these standards, the capacity to comply with these standards for training partners of jurisdictions that adopt this kind of regulation and legislation is going to be very foreign. So certainly the green trade facilitation dimension will be increasingly in focus
SPEAKER_03
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in the trade facilitation agenda. So in the next slide a recollection of some examples of specific measures that for the sustainability pillar of the survey are going to be presented in the UNEC report for trade facilitation and women in particular, interesting the case of Azerbaijan, for instance, that established has established a commission on business, environment and international rankings with regular training undertaken for women entrepreneurs or the Republic of Moldova, for instance, has put in place Women's Economic Empowerment ROSLA that was adopted in 2023 and six out of nine of the national Trade Facilitation Community working groups are led by women on trade facilitation for SMEs. The example of Tajikistan, for instance, with an export support program launched in July 2025 specifically targeting SMEs. The new business Incubation Project or the National Trade Consolidation Roadmap for Export Enhancement and Activity Diversification that has been jointly developed with UNCLE with support of AMCTED that has a chapter specifically focusing on support measures for SMEs on green trade facilitation and here compliance with the Basel Convention very important basic convention that provides this global legal framework and efforts to countries to put in place specific legislation to enforce the requirements of the Convention Azerbaijan HERE or Kazakhstan that establish rules for input, export and transit or massages and other waste again in compliance with basic Convention or the responsible producer obligations that have been introduced in 2021. Moving on to the next slide, please here again like in the presentation delivered by Paul, the UNEC report will provide an overview of the most and least implemented measures for all trade facilitation measures categories. But here you can see and get an overview of the most risk implemented for the sustainability pillar of the survey.
SPEAKER_03
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For instance, mostly implemented include trade related information measures for SMEs while list implemented trade facilitation of green and climate smart goods which as I said you know is a set of measures there the list implemented that will particularly require technical assistance and capacity building for developing countries and transition economies as going to be quite complex the compliance Moving on to the next slide and that almost the conclusion the UNEC report and here it's very small text apologies for that but just wanted to give a snapshot of a table that the UNEC report includes and that is a mapping of all the measures included in the survey, the trade facilitation agreement measures and the plus plus measures to UNEC UNCPACT supporting instruments UNEC UNCPACT has developed something like 49 positive recommendations and about 950e business standards policy recommendations include those on single window implementation. But just now we have passed a new policy recommendation on traceability and transparency of compliance with ESG requirements along value chains, textile, critical raw materials, other food that are going to prove very important to support countries in implementing the TFA type of measures or E business NAT standards like UN Localed, the UN Artifact, the UN Core Component Library and Reference and bachipay reference data models that are very important for digital connectivity and cross model paper straight so you will have that mapping table with hyperlinks to the specific instruments. And finally just
SPEAKER_03
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onto the next slide please the key messages to conclude social facilitation for SMEs and agricultural trade facilitation has experienced a good increase in implementation rates while trade facilitation on women continues to lag behind. Green trade facilitation have the lowest implementation rate across all subgroups of measures. Transition economies have made significant progress in implementing trade facilitation sustainable trade facilitation measures especially for the Caucasus, Turkey and Central Asia. But the gaps are still there so there is need for technical assistance capacity building and here is where really the survey helps and supports because it helps identify where countries are lagging behind on specific measures and where the dollars are community can let's say target
SPEAKER_03
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development cooperation assistance. Now for the new group of green trade facilitation measures I already mentioned specific instruments that UNEC, UNCFact have developed. But also let me mention about a new policy recommendation that we are developing which is the recommendation 50 on digital connectivity for transit corridors. And that is going to be a recommendation that will provide guidance particularly to landlocked developing countries. It was presented in AWA and the LLTC3 and is going to be also included in a WTO report. The WTO is
SPEAKER_03
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analyzing exactly on transit corridors for llpc. And finally an invitation to the UN CFACT Forum if you move to the next slide please the 44th UN CFACT Core Forum bringing together our global community of experts advancing on the development of policy recommendations and standards in support of implementation of many of the measures in the survey taking place on 242820 November in Dakar, Senegal. You are all cordially invited to join and looking forward to having you there. Thank you so much.
SPEAKER_05
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Thank you very much Teresa for your presentation. I mean you covered a lot of ground essentially the entire survey, but with a specific focus on sustainable trade facilitation as well. Thank you for giving a few examples of of specific way to some of those measures can be implemented. At the end of the day it's the most important thing is to try to identify some of the good practices associated with sustainable trade facilitation measure implementation. Because again as we've seen in the results of the survey, it's not implemented widely. So the more we can accumulate cases I think Paul mentioned Ghana, one case that if we can compile some of this and I see you, I'm encouraging everybody in the room actually to log in the zoom meeting because you can see the questions and the comments and there's a lot of questions and comments and one of the suggestions that is there is that a question, is there an online hub where we can find green sustainable practices implemented in countries? So to my knowledge this doesn't exist yet. Maybe WCO has something on green customs potentially. But I'm happy to inform that ESCAP together with the Asian Development bank and actually OTAD as well is ramping up a lot of work on green trade facilitation and premise market facilitation. So one of the things that might come out of this is exactly this
SPEAKER_05
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a space where we're going to have.
SPEAKER_03
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That, yes, minor, that the Green Growth Knowledge platform, which is supported by unep actually provides a collection of good practices on trade, green trade and some may be also pertaining green trade facilitation. So I think that is progress, it's an important knowledge source. But at unec, with the sustainability pledge, for instance on the green trade facilitation and the trustability of compliance with ESG requirements and standards in value chains, we have connected and
SPEAKER_03
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are just publishing now have just published in July a report on good practices which cover more than government practices, private companies practices. So that is also an interesting source of information.
SPEAKER_05
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Okay, did I miss it or you didn't really go into your traceability project? Did you cover your traceability project?
SPEAKER_03
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Not in detail.
SPEAKER_04
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Okay.
SPEAKER_05
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Because I think actually it was mentioned because actually I feel the traceability work is actually very relevant when we're talking about trade sustainable trade facilitation.
SPEAKER_04
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So.
SPEAKER_03
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Okay, so compliant with regulation and legislation on due diligence corporate sustainability reporting, which is adopted at the new level, but also China, the United States, Australia, many jurisdictions are moving in that direction, standardization work. Okay, thank you.
SPEAKER_05
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Thank you very much. All right, in term of presentation, last but not least, Salahin Khan actually is from une, so you can tell us all. Do you know anything about the Green Growth Platform?
SPEAKER_02
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The Green.
SPEAKER_06
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Please, please. Yeah, thank you very much. Jan. Yeah, so let me clarify. I'm part of unep, yes. But I'm particularly from the Citus Secretariat, so which is a multilateral environment agreement and sometimes people get confused. Also true that you know, INEP or not, you know, we have that discussion all the time.
SPEAKER_06
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But thank you very much, Yan and for the invitation to speak at this workshop. Very timely, very relevant. And as someone who has been part of the event global Survey before in my previous organizations, I feel very close to the survey and I Would like to also thank all the partners, the regional commissions and for including the new indicator on electronic cytospart systems is very welcome. This is the second year I think we have included this indicator and so we are still kind of in a way testing phase of this indicator. In my presentation I'm going to talk about
SPEAKER_06
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basically I'm sort of given overview of what is the context, sort of set the context. I'll give you some status based on the. The survey results and then some related challenges of these are simplementation and then perhaps provide some guidance of how from. From the Secretary itself how we kind of see ourselves developing which in direction in which direction and based on what we develop our guidance.
SPEAKER_02
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So.
SPEAKER_06
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Next slide please. Thank you. So let me begin with a convention. It's a conventional international trade in endangered species of volume and flora established in 1973. And it's a multilateral environment rightly exactly sitting up the intersection between trade and conservation. And it has about. We have 185 parties including the European Union and the site is. Regulates more than 41,000 species. And the trade is regulated not only species, not the animals, live animals, but also plants, dead parts, derivatives, products, et cetera. So the objective is very nice is really sustainable, traceable and legal wildlife trade. But not. Not only right. So ultimately the conservation is a big issue and also supporting the livelihoods of the people living off the wildlife is another main target sites. We celebrate the 50th year's 50th anniversary this year of the convention coming into four. So it's quite special for us this year. Next. Sorry, not me, you. Next slide please. Thank you.
SPEAKER_06
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So unfortunately there's a lot of illegal trade wildlife trade as you probably know. I mean illegal trade the kind of the. The way we define it illegal wildlife trade is that is cannot be legally traded commercially traded or those species that are outside the scope of the Citus Citus Convention. Next slide please.
SPEAKER_06
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So as you can see the. The conservation is not only the only. Only issue here. There are many economic sectors that rely on Citus trade really related to the food industry, the timber industry, the pharmaceuticals, the cosmetics, the fashion industry, etc. So it has a. So I mean. I mean more the bigger reason for also implementing electronic permanent Citus permanent system is actually also in a way supporting this kind of advancing this legal trade. Next slide please.
SPEAKER_06
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We have over 25 million transactions recorded in the Citus database. So Citus database is something that we're where all the Citus parties provide annually their reports the trade reports So I must sort of give you an information about here that as we talk about inclusion of including the inside the survey. But let's. Let's think about the overall context of inclusion in terms of trade statistics. Citus trade is not part of E Oncom trade. It is some of it, right? Those that are part of the let's say watch industry or tourism or some. Some traders but not the end of trade. So we do not have even a proper official trade volume value data that we can claim that this is exactly the value of trade annually. So this is where you're starting from, right? So in terms of giving you a kind of the what kind of problem we are into and actually my point in terms in all my presentation is implementation of EC systems first off for these statistics reporting and then compliance and then you can go on and on. So Our estimate is 220 billion worth of trade wildlife trade annually, both Citus and non citus perhaps. Next slide please. Now the objective of these CITES is again it's not sort for the sake of implementing a digital solution but actually really helping the compliance Citus trade to do much more with this and also to simplify the process and really implement the objective of the convention itself. Next slide please. And in an ideal ecitis permanent system, what we call an ideal ecitis permanent system or e citizen in short we have four distinct sections that we talk about. There's one includes the electronic applications and issuance. Second is the electronic control or authentication of status permits at the border. Then we have the reporting or the statistic generation and then we have the exchange of permit between the parties.
SPEAKER_06
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Next slide please. So how the electronic status founding system helps the parties. Really the first off is you can really have verifiable legal information. The origin it is the. The any statistic needs to be verified and legally acquired so this information can be easily accessible from these permit permit. The second is we have the scientific evidence that the species in question it does not is not. It does not have the threat to the survival of itself. So we have scientific proof that it is managed, it is properly managed and it is legally traded. We can support the quota management from there export quota etc. We also have the traceability data as much as the transaction goes the trader profile etc. When it is connected to a traceability system, the supply chain traceability system it can be considered an end to end kind of support tool. So beyond that the big question of generating statistics I think is also helping is actually a major point that through which the parties can be manipulated. Next slide please. Now, going into the current status of the ECRS implementation based on the survey I have just put out the took the data from from the website and I must tell that there may be slight discrepancy from the west website data because there has been some updates have been done internally which have not been updated in the page yet. So it's from the, from the survey. This year we have seen that about 60 parties have somewhat have implemented the satisfarmonic systems across the globe. Now there are some countries who did not participate in the survey, I'm sure, so there may be here, there are a few countries here and there, but more or less it gives an indication of how many sort of one third of the parties have somewhat implemented in inside this permanent system and 19 parties have just begun or in the final stage of developing the system the numbers actually doubled in terms of partial implementation has doubled since 2023. Next slide please.
SPEAKER_06
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If you look at the regions it's quite a lot of variation there and clearly Europe being the leader in terms of partially implementing the saddest system first followed by Asia Pacific and then the Latin American region and Africa and Western Asia region actually quite behind, which gives us a proper sense of what from the Secretary at what we have we experienced working with the parties. So this gives a good indication of which region actually needs some more support. Next slide please.
SPEAKER_06
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Now if we look at, we take a sort of deeper look closer look at the results. I mean not at these results, but this doesn't come from the survey, but kind of from our experience.
SPEAKER_06
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What do we mean by partial implementation? When we think of our knowledge, our information from the parties it shows that there's a huge variation in terms of the functionalities of the systems. These are the systems of the parties. So some of them only allows application, some of them only allow application. And if you. Some of them, a few of them includes electronic control, but most of them don't. So there's a huge level of variation. It's not really clear sometimes if you do not really go in depth in terms of the functionality and then it also has a bearing on the efficiency of the system. It's clear that there is also lack of implementation of the international standards at the Secretariat we do have we based on the UNDC even CFACT reference data model. We have also our own data set, ECIT data model, also based on the WSU data model. So. But none of many, few of them have implemented them, not all of them. So these are, these are, these are some of the issues that we have. Again coming back to the statistic issue because reporting is very important from the. From the site to secondary point of view we need to know how much trade has actually happened. So some, some parties are not able to report on the actual trade the. The specimens that have crossed the border they provide us the report on number of permits issued.
SPEAKER_05
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Right.
SPEAKER_06
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And that does not actually mean that it has crossed the border. So there are some variations there inconsistency there in terms of reporting practices also. And obviously as we all kind of can imagine there's also interoperability challenges between
SPEAKER_06
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within the national system. So between customs and cities. Next slide please. So as I said our ESIGHT standards are based on UNC fragment WC data model. But for us data interoperability between customs is really key.
SPEAKER_06
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Electronic digital solutions development these days is not a big issue if you ask any even developing countries can do it but based on international standards and with the functionality of interoperability between the customs or the border engine are really really key for us. For that matter, when we talk about inclusion and I thank Paul for mentioning this how to include other Green TF measures into the survey or in the discussions more and more and also recently being asking about questions about how many let's say this management authorities are part of the National Trade Presentation Committee. Perhaps this is the time we should kind of ask those questions and how far, how far these needs from the Citus Management Authority which are again an OGS government agencies needs are reflected in the discussion of the National Trade Facilitation Committees. So yeah, I would kind of leave it there and then next slide please. So again as I said for the Citus Convention compliance, data traceability, data enforcement, scientific reporting, everything is based on the data and the ESIGHT edge is really at the core of this system. And so it is the single system that can generate a lot of data for us which will help. Which really helps us to make policy decision decisions in terms of either including the species or excluding the species from the convention and which has direct bearing on the biodiversity and conservation. Next slide please. So I'll just give you some examples of. I have not pick any single country just to show but we. I'm here to. I'm just showing that what we have in terms of guidance and what we are trying to promote across our parties in terms of guidance. So this is the latest version of our toolkit which includes the technical specification as I said based on both the UNCfax and WC data models. This is for free and we encourage and we actually we have resolutions for the parties to implement them. We provide technical assistance as much as possible with the limited resources with this next slide please
SPEAKER_06
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Then recently the. As I said electronic control is very important for the. For the cyst trade. So authentication and validation of permits at the border is very important for us. So that's why based on the demand from the parties we have developed this
SPEAKER_06
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guidance on use of barcodes on the Citus permit system and then we have specific technical specification what is what should be in that barcode and how this can be made security with encrypted data with digital signatures so that anyone who wants to verify the data with the actual permit can be can be verified. Next one please. We have a project implementation guidance guidance as well so just to give you a given over overview of how to manage any Citus project and also this is why we also include the thinking holistically in terms of national TF and other issues to make it make consideration of those and making some assessments before implementing the ecitus module. Next one please. This is latest. This is a guidance that we have would like to update. This is still not updated based on the latest standard but we had started between two or three parties exchanging information for cytoplant information. We do have the guidance on that as well. Unfortunately we have not been able to make any headway still but we would like to hopefully next year or so we would like to see some countries pilot testing this exchange of permut information.
SPEAKER_02
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Next one please.
SPEAKER_06
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Coming close to the presentation I'd like to thank all the donors and the energy partners for all through that everyone is here. So yeah again without the support of all these organizations obviously wherever we are there's a secretariat we could not have come this far. So thank you all of you and maybe I'll just. And more of the expl just again would like to invite all of you to the CITUS COP the Congress of the Parties COP 20 happening end of this year 24th or 5th of December in Samarkand. This is a huge event for us. It's once in three years and it's the biggest event for us. And we will have discussions over Electron Silas powering systems and how do we take it,
SPEAKER_06
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how do we advance the agenda. We also have a side event on East Siders founding systems on 3rd of December. So you're. You're also very much welcome to participate. It's in the Asia Asia region or Europe region, Central Asia region, Uzbekistan and.
SPEAKER_05
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So it's Asia for sure.
SPEAKER_05
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But my colleague will say it's Europe.
SPEAKER_06
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So I went to the question when I was doing my analysis of the data, was it for me Asia Pacific or Europe? So let me not go into that. So, but this is good, we cover both the regions. So. But again, if you can come, please, you are most welcome to attend.
SPEAKER_05
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Okay, thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you. I mean I think your. The presentation is useful in the sense that it's on a specific measure, it's on E cities.
SPEAKER_06
(4592.84 - 4593.2)
Right.
SPEAKER_05
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So and you can see the level of complexity involved in implementing this. Right. And we are talking about just one particular energy, right, which is at the
SPEAKER_05
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crossroad between actually trade digitalization and sustainable trade facilitation. And those tradition and sustainable translation are very much linked up, linked together.
SPEAKER_05
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But I keep seeing a lot of questions also on the website and it's difficult to answer anything in a very simple way because we are talking about difficult things to do and complex things to do. So everyone, I think the job I guess is we have to keep studying and learning from each other so we can come up with what we think is the right solution. But I think no one really has
SPEAKER_05
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the solution. I think how many years since ESIT.
SPEAKER_06
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Initiative started it first started we developed our first toolkit if I may say from that run. Maybe the development is 2010.
SPEAKER_05
(4654.62 - 4657.94)
Yeah, 2010 we have 15 years later actually.
SPEAKER_06
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I'm quite happy that also to report maybe unofficially also that our colleague sister Multidata Environment from the PRS foundation, the Bazaar foundation, they're also following through this our approach and they're also working on their electronic permit certificate.
SPEAKER_11
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Então, hoje eu furo que todo mundo é assim como a estandade.
SPEAKER_05
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So hopefully, hopefully everybody similar than other.
SPEAKER_06
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Yeah, so CITUS is one of the initial MES to to I think maybe the first one to develop an electronic site standards based on the EC and the WSA model. But yeah, this is a long journey.
SPEAKER_04
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Thank you.
SPEAKER_05
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Thank you very much. So now we are moving to discussions.
SPEAKER_05
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So we've heard a lot of things. So I have. I think both our discussions are slides as well.
SPEAKER_05
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So you're welcome. But if you can possibly also react to some of the presentations that were made in the process, that would be great. So first discussant is Jesse Nicol from WTO and everybody is always very happy to hear from wto.
SPEAKER_12
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Soul.
SPEAKER_05
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So a lot of pressure here.
SPEAKER_07
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Thank you y for that and thank you Jan and Paul for the, for the invitation and really I want to commend the regional commissions and UNCTAD for this really insightful work. I think I lost a little sleep last night looking through the 2023 results. So. So thank you for that. So let me start. I mean, I will change gears a bit here at the intro and just sort of focus initially on sort of where the global community stands in terms of implementation commitments under the trade facilitation. So you see on this initial slide
SPEAKER_07
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that 166 WTO members have committed to 85% adherence to the TFA. Now, if you look at what has happened since 2017, so you can see there was a sort of 50% commitment in 2017. So since 2017, that is where members have asked for more time or for development assistance. We're about two thirds of the way there. So even in respect of core TFA obligations, there's still some way to go. But what I want to suggest in the context of this discussion is it's also a very good opportunity.
SPEAKER_07
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So, I mean, among these measures, you probably are familiar with the measures that are still pose the greatest challenge. We're talking about single window test procedures, aeo, risk management, border agency cooperation. And here are some good opportunities, I think over the next several years, as you'll see. If you could pass the next slide. I'm trying to move quickly because I know we're a bit behind time.
SPEAKER_07
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Here is the Category C measures. So these are measures for which members have requested development assistance. And if you look at where we are currently, we are at that peak
SPEAKER_07
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over the next five years, that is through 2030, there are five over 500 measures. That's nearly 50% of the category C provisions which have to be implemented within the next five years.
SPEAKER_07
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Now, if you go to the next slide, obviously what you see in a TFA commitment is different than what we see from the survey. I think it's important to draw that distinction. These are, you know, legal undertakings, whereas what we're seeing through the UN Global surveys is a real effort to, to document or to capture actual implementation. But what was interesting to me and actually looking at a lot of the numbers is it's not a huge difference. Yes, it is a smaller percentage. But if you look at some of the more what you're labeling kind of the core TFA commitments, you're seeing implementation rates, maybe partial, combined with full implementation, but you're seeing implementation rates that are in 70, 80, even 90%. So
SPEAKER_07
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that's somewhat encouraging because I think we heard right at the outset and I think it's a very genuine concern. Just because somebody's committed to implement a provision doesn't mean it's actually been implemented. So we, so what I love about this study is we're really trying to identify where those gaps are. So I think both of these have a role to play and particularly through this critical phase, because many of these provisions, even if they are labeled as TFA plus, these provisions can still be implemented, including that TFA component. And that's obviously going to be more relevant to issues of paperless trade, cross border, paperless trade. But even as I'll point out, even in sustainability, I think there are some links that would be noted. So,
SPEAKER_07
(4967.84 - 5019.16)
you know, in the wto, within the discussions that we see in the committee, there's often, I think, a good integrated appreciation of TFA and TFA plus and how they can, how can, how they can interact. I'll just give one example on digitalization. Tunisia has to implement their advanced rulings provision under Article 3 by 2030. Now, there's nothing in Article 3 which requires a digital system, yet Tunisia, with the assistance of development partners, set up a system that enables economic operators to submit requests and track the status of their applications to a dedicated digital platform. Also, and I alluded to this earlier, even in sustainability. So one of the, I saw one of the measures under sustainability indicates
SPEAKER_07
(5020.92 - 5165.43)
tailoring an AEO scheme to include SMEs. Now, granted, there is nothing in Article 7.7 that explicitly requires the inclusion of videos. In fact, there's actually language I was looking at that says that AEO criteria shall, shall not restrict SME participation. So it's kind of put in the negative, but nothing precludes their inclusion. And actually, in recent experience sharing presentations, we've heard from a number of members, both developed and developing, that are really, you know, looking for ways to include SMEs through a number of different arrangements. So just my initial point is just that as we work through the survey and all of the tremendous data and results that are coming out of it, I think it's important to recognize that these TFA requirements, you know, can continue to serve as a good incentive to implement digital and sustainable solutions, even when it's not mandated by the tfa. Okay, so having said that, let me go into a second point. I'll be very brief on this next slide, please. I just wanted to note one of the objectives, I think, in doing this type of gap analysis is seeing where do we direct assistance. And I just wanted to give you an initial report on what some colleagues at the WTO in the TFA facility have been doing in trying to identify implementation gaps. So they started with the question, what is the scale and nature of remaining remaining TACB needs? They conducted a survey Sent out questions, got about a 50% response rate from those who had Category C provisions. That is where development assistance had been requested. I'll skip that and go into the next slide. Here's a kind of visual presentation that's very crude but this is preliminary. You can see there were a number that responded that they weren't looking for development assistance arrangements even though they had initially indicated they would want them. And, and that suggests that members are in certain instances looking for ways to rely on domestic resources to implement these provisions. But among those that are remaining, those that are looking for arrangements you had, let's see, the number is.
SPEAKER_07
(5167.23 - 5189.47)
I have it here, the number is 40. Sorry, yes, thank you, that was helpful. There are 31 members that have, that are still looking for arrangements even though they have development partners. So that suggests that there's other aspects that they're seeking to implement. And you have 17 of those members who have no development partner. So last final slide.
SPEAKER_07
(5193.48 - 5255.45)
So the first point I already mentioned that in some instances members are relying on domestic resources. There is some variability here in terms of where TACB is concentrated. There are some provisions for which TACB is development assistance is more readily available. I think risk management, AEOs, single window. But there are other provisions. I'm thinking of test procedures and even in some instances border agency cooperation where there are still some needs unmet. So this is an example of the need for vertical scaling that's included on the slide. But the findings also show a need to cover more regions and languages and to ensure deeper and lasting interventions that can really guarantee sustainable long term results. So I know I threw a lot out there, but I tried to keep to my eight minutes.
SPEAKER_02
(5256.17 - 5257.05)
How did I do?
SPEAKER_05
(5257.21 - 5260.73)
Very good. Seven minutes and 52 seconds.
SPEAKER_02
(5260.81 - 5261.29)
Wow.
SPEAKER_13
(5260.97 - 5261.29)
Ow.
SPEAKER_05
(5264.01 - 5273.61)
No, but I think very. Thank you very much for emphasizing technical assistance and capacity building as well. I mean, and this is one of the purpose of the survey actually is to try to identify
SPEAKER_05
(5275.15 - 5287.15)
where are gaps that needs to be filled using technical assistance and capacity building. So actually matching some of the WTO data and some of the survey data may be quite, quite useful in that regard.
SPEAKER_06
(5287.15 - 5287.63)
Thank you.
SPEAKER_05
(5288.43 - 5303.87)
Last but not least on the discussant we've got Silvia who made it in person because I think I commented at some point that we were not sure whether you'd be online or physical. But you're here. I don't know whether you can see you. We may not be able to see you because of your angle, but Sylvia is in person with us.
SPEAKER_03
(5304.18 - 5304.66)
Hear me?
SPEAKER_14
(5304.43 - 5304.67)
Name.
SPEAKER_05
(5306.34 - 5307.3)
We can hear you.
SPEAKER_03
(5308.02 - 5310.74)
And I have one. No, I have zero minutes actually.
SPEAKER_05
(5310.82 - 5316.34)
I think you can, you can take five, six minutes because we have a 15 minute gaps between the two surveys sessions.
SPEAKER_02
(5316.34 - 5317.14)
So we're okay.
SPEAKER_03
(5317.46 - 5319.26)
Thank you for the invitation and it's.
SPEAKER_01
(5319.26 - 5333.72)
Great to see everybody in person and it's hard always to, to come last and to comment on so much rich and useful material. But I, I think what I would try to do in the next minutes is really just maybe think of what comes next.
SPEAKER_03
(5333.72 - 5336.36)
I think we already have a lot.
SPEAKER_01
(5336.36 - 5338.88)
Of rich, very useful material, but sort.
SPEAKER_03
(5338.88 - 5342.24)
Of where are we going to go find from here? So we can go to the next slide?
SPEAKER_01
(5343.68 - 5344.48)
I think one.
SPEAKER_05
(5345.84 - 5350.16)
Sorry, is it possible for you to, to move to the other side? Because apparently there's microphone issue?
SPEAKER_05
(5359.85 - 5371.37)
I have a feeling this microphone is discriminating a bit. No, because we only have women problem. Right. It's an issue. Yeah, yeah. It's not designed, you know, as a gender. Yeah, yeah. Something.
SPEAKER_04
(5371.37 - 5372.25)
Something wrong.
SPEAKER_05
(5375.21 - 5377.53)
We can hear you. It's a participant.
SPEAKER_07
(5379.85 - 5380.73)
Let's hope so.
SPEAKER_04
(5382.22 - 5383.1)
You can come up here.
SPEAKER_01
(5386.3 - 5387.22)
All my minutes.
SPEAKER_03
(5387.22 - 5387.58)
Just.
SPEAKER_05
(5389.42 - 5391.58)
Thank you OECD for testing the microphone.
SPEAKER_03
(5398.62 - 5405.82)
Okay, third time is a cheak up.
SPEAKER_01
(5407.34 - 5457.72)
No, just thanking everybody. So if we can go to the next slide. I think one key takeaway that we can get from the survey is that indeed we see a lot of good progress globally across all these areas, which is great. And agriculture, trade facilitation, trade facilitation for women, for SMEs and also this new aspects around trade facilitation and environmental sustainability. I think one key aspect of where we go next, and this is something I think that Anders was also highlighting in his intervention, is that we need to know more about how we close this gap between what do we say in terms of the regulatory framework, how we actually implement it in practice. And this is something that in our own work at the oecd, we have.
SPEAKER_03
(5457.72 - 5459.28)
Been struggling to collect information.
SPEAKER_01
(5459.52 - 5515.34)
Also I think we see a lot of good progress in terms of putting those regulatory frameworks in place. And, and I think we're also seeing that through some of the statistics that Jesse was highlighting vis a vis what countries are mentioning that they're doing. But we know much less in terms of how that works in practice. So I think we need to do much more there. And I'll come back to this. But one of the areas that we've started to work on also increasingly is trade facilitation and environmental sustainability. And it is challenging and I think we can see it again just with the Citus example, just, you know, one area, one document how Hard it is how much legal frame or regulations need to have behind that data exchange. So when we start unpacking all the different areas through which trade facilitation can matter for environment sustainability, it gets even trickier. So if we can go to the, to the next slide,
SPEAKER_01
(5516.94 - 5807.19)
maybe I just skipped this one because I think, you know, we have a very good focus currently on the regulatory frameworks. But I want to highlight some of the learnings that we have from a couple of works that we have been doing or we are doing currently at the oecd. So for instance, in terms of the SPS electronic certification, we've tried to compile data on what OECD countries are doing and exactly with whom they're exchanging these types of certificates on which products. And it gets really complicated because some of our members while they're doing this with selected trading partners through different kind of agreements or arrangement only for specific products. So once you start compiling that information, realize it's very challenging. So I think having a sort of a question that frames how are you doing in general around this regulatory is great as a first step. But some of the key insights that we haven't taken for this work is that you really need to go much deeper to understand how that works in practice. We can go to the next slide. Another piece of work that we carried out recently was the Trade and Gender Review of Latin America, which doesn't focus exclusively on trade facilitation, but really on how these gender perspectives are taking into account more broadly into trade policy policymaking. And trade facilitation is of course one aspect of that. So I'll not spend the time that I don't have to go through all the different examples that we cover in the review. But I think we can see a lot of interesting programs in the region going from Costa Rica to Peru, where really there is a thinking and I think Paul was highlighting also a nice result from the survey that there is this incorporation of gender women focus issue in policies or brick frameworks for trade facilitation. So I think we see that, but here again what we see less is that the less of an assessment of what that actually means in practice, of how many women are covered, how many women led businesses manage to export or to trade much more easily through these kind of programs. So I think that different trade facilitation aspects matter, but we know less again of what happens in practice. And if we can go to my final slide, coming to this area of environmental sustainability and trade facilitation, we have been really struggling of taking a full good perspective on the different issues that might matter. So what we are currently doing in this work is really in progress and it would be great to stay in touch and understand discuss as this evolves because this find is very complex. So we actually what we are trying to do now is to sort of trade a trade facilitation lens to a product's environmental life cycle. So going from the production side where we see that we have all these new non product related processes and production methods and I think was mentioning a lot of these developments for instance that we are seeing in the European Union but, but there are many others out there in terms of certification traceability and so on. Then we go to the usage segment and here again it's not as straightforward because we have environmental goods issues which have their own aspects and matter in terms of how you classify and use certification again labeling and standard and so on. And then the end of life segment in terms of the waste, it gets even more complicated if you speak about waste for disposal or waste for discovery. We have been touching or other panelists have been touching in their presentations on the Basel Convention and the oecd. We actually have an own convention that actually just covers a waste destined for recovery and which is also supposed to undertake all these notification consent procedures electronically. But then when you match that with Basel, you know, in practice you realize that there are a lot of other challenges. And last also in terms of the end of life is that we're trying to look also at issues that matter for reuse and remanufacturing. And here some of the challenges that we're seeing now is of course in terms of classification. Customs has a lot of challenge with what is waste. How do you actually manage to ensure that? Yeah, it's not something that should go for disposal, but it's something that will, will end up going for a manufacturing valuation, risk management. Again, how do you incorporate all these aspects? So all in all what we're trying to do is that we're taking the economy wide framework that we have for the large trade facilitation indicators and try to see
SPEAKER_01
(5808.71 - 5846.51)
applying this lens basically what is the share of trade facilitation efforts that are destined towards some of these aspects. So of course no one is saying in the end, you know, there should be any discriminatory treatment towards environmental goods or, or any other of these issues in terms of waste. But how much of your over framework touches upon efforts that have to do with environmental sustainability issues. So it's work in progress I think There are a lot of synergies and yeah, definitely looking forward to stay in touch on this because it's extremely interesting but yet a very challenging area we find. So I'll stop here.
SPEAKER_05
(5846.51 - 5880.9)
Okay, well, thank you very much. I mean your last slide actually is very useful because I think many of us are working on similar issues and I think that I, and personally I believe there is no issue with discriminating between the different products. I mean, if some products are more important than others, then you should facilitate them more. I mean, I mean, I know that sounds reasonable to me, but we can have another workshop to discuss that issue at some later stage. We are late, so I apologize as a moderator for making everybody late. We're going to take five
SPEAKER_05
(5882.66 - 5893.06)
plus seven minute break, I think before we start the next session. But I'd like to thank all the speakers, the discussant for very valuable information.
SPEAKER_02
(5894.94 - 5895.5)
Thank you again.
SPEAKER_04
(5895.58 - 5897.82)
Thank you. So we will.
SPEAKER_05
(5899.82 - 5914.06)
And I apologize, I mean, we cannot answer all the questions. Right. I mean, I think some of us have been trying to answer some of the questions on online, but I think a lot of the discussion also provides some answer to some of the things that have been asked.
SPEAKER_06
(5914.06 - 5914.34)
Yeah.
SPEAKER_04
(5914.34 - 5924.74)
Yeah, good. So we will start 17 minutes past as Jan just has declared. So, yeah, comfort break and hope to see you back.
SPEAKER_15
(5925.78 - 5926.02)
You.
SPEAKER_05
(6506.56 - 6508.72)
I mean, more than. Yeah, more than one hour and a half.
SPEAKER_04
(6509.84 - 6528.44)
Okay. Okay. So welcome back to this second part of our discussion this afternoon. And the second part is on the UN Trade Digitalization Index, potential extensions and a way forward.
SPEAKER_04
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Some of you may know that this index was first launched in 2024 and it really builds on much of the data that we have in the global survey.
SPEAKER_04
(6544.21 - 6551.09)
So what we would like to do today is first of all to do a presentation done by Jan Dubal
SPEAKER_04
(6552.61 - 6663.38)
about the Trade Digitalization Index. What is it? What are the data that we have already and what are maybe some of the new data that has materialized from the survey that we have done this year. And then on the basis of that, we will have a panel with the participants here and a roundtable and that will include Silvia Ceresco from OECD, Christian Lemke from WCO World Customs Organization, Bill Gain from the World Bank, Mr. Mohammed Said from UN Next Advisor, Jesse Nicole from WTO, Romila Trevelli from ADB, and also Maria Teresa from UNC FAT. So the objective is to try and see how we can further develop the Trade Facility or the Trade Digitalization Index into a more comprehensive benchmark and a tool for trace digitalization. So we hope to gain input from this discussion. We also welcome you to participate behind the screen with your input. Please use the Q and A to ask questions to come up with proposals based on what you are hearing from Jan and from the panelists during this discussion. And on this basis we will then hope to come up with an even better version of the UN Trade Digitalization Index. So without spending too much time Jan, I will hand over to you to present the index and to present some of the latest figure please. The floor is yours.
SPEAKER_05
(6664.18 - 6667.54)
Thank you. Do you have a time limit or for a presentation?
SPEAKER_04
(6667.54 - 6673.83)
I would like to be home by six o' clock so. But I trust, I trust you
SPEAKER_04
(6675.83 - 6676.11)
because.
SPEAKER_05
(6676.11 - 6765.51)
I, I. Yeah, I have a few too many slides but let's see. I can how long it takes. So. Yes, thank you Paul. I think the objectives are quite clear. First I'm going to present the the findings we have from the UN Trade Digitalization Index based on the Global Survey 2025. But we actually not launching this right. It's just that we have new data so we just put it in the index and see how it looks like. But really the idea is that next year we are going to launch an updated trade Digitalization Index 2025, 2026 and that index will have will be based on the global survey data but hopefully we'll have additional data so that we have a little bit more comprehensive. More comprehensive index. The reason why this index is important especially for ESCAP is because as some of you may know, ESCAP is a secretariat for UN treaty called the Framework Agreement on Facilitation of Cross Border Paperless Trade in Asia and the Pacific. So this is a UN treaty 100% entirely dedicated to trade digitalization. And so we plan to use the UN Trade Digital Return Index as to measure the progress made under the Framework Agreement on Cross Border Paperless Trade. That's why we are spending a bit of efforts with your help in making it better.
SPEAKER_05
(6767.03 - 6772.07)
So once I present the global survey, the result from the UNTDI then I.
SPEAKER_02
(6772.07 - 6772.31)
Will.
SPEAKER_05
(6774.16 - 6785.28)
Very very, very initially talk about a little bit a few potential way forwards for the TDI and then after that we'll hopefully hear from the panelists all your great suggestions.
SPEAKER_05
(6787.84 - 6825.59)
So this is the first slide on why a UN Trade Digitalization Index. I mean I think I'm going to skip this slide because everybody is very aware, at least among the participation here that's the importance of trade digitalization and its benefits in terms of reducing trade costs, making trade more inclusive and also potentially reducing the environmental impact per transaction of trade. So I'M moving on to just showing what is the Trade Digitalization index as of 2024. So that trade Digitalization Index was launched actually during the OECD WTO OECD
SPEAKER_05
(6827.52 - 6846.64)
Aid for Trade Global Review last year. And it is based on data, survey data from 2023, the UNTF survey data 2023. It includes 15 digital trade measures. So essentially what we do, what we did is we took all the
SPEAKER_05
(6848.64 - 6876.56)
measures in the surveys related to paperless trade and cross border paperless trade and we put this in a separate index really to focus on the extent of implementation of trade digitalization and those measures. We have a very simple method. We just look at the implementation rate of all those measures and then we equally weight the measures. So we say essentially we have the assumption that all the measures in the index are equally important.
SPEAKER_04
(6877.04 - 6877.4)
Right.
SPEAKER_05
(6877.4 - 6906.02)
So this is also something to think about. So here is the list of measures. So as you this correspond to the list of paperless trade and cross border paperless trade measures that we have in the UN Global Survey on Trade Facilitation. So it ranges from measures that almost everybody has implemented at this point, like automated custom systems to cross border paper strain measures that are much less implemented,
SPEAKER_05
(6907.61 - 6934.12)
including for example electronic exchange of certificate of origin or SPA certificates. I will come back to that list, I think. So let me move on. If you want to look at the details of the Trade Digitization Index 2024, the one we currently have, you can look at the working paper we have online and you can access. We have a dedicated website on tdi.digitalized trademark.org
SPEAKER_05
(6936.84 - 6965.2)
so based on, so here what I'm showing now is based on the UNCF Survey 2025 data. So we just released, we just compiled here how the Trade Digitalization Index look like if we don't change anything to the methodology. So we have a global average implementation of trade digitalization of 62%. And so with large regional disparities across region Pacific Islands 30%
SPEAKER_05
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Implementation of trade digitalization and then Southeast and East Asia, very good implementation of 74%. Very close to that what we observe in developed economies.
SPEAKER_05
(6982.96 - 6995.95)
Now if you again look at things in a little bit more details across countries and across within each region all the blue dots are individual countries. You can see quite a few,
SPEAKER_05
(6997.47 - 7010.31)
quite a lot of variation across the group. In particular in Sub Saharan Africa group. Right. So the sub Saharan African average is essentially quite meaningless because you've got countries all over the place from very, very.
SPEAKER_06
(7010.31 - 7012.11)
Low implementation to top implementation.
SPEAKER_05
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In some other regions you see a lot more compact or coherent implementation. Southeast and East Asia again ASEAN, because I think they're working a lot together. You can see the spread of implementation of trade digitalization measures is a lot less problematic. And so you can get a few insights from that.
SPEAKER_06
(7037.4 - 7037.76)
Then.
SPEAKER_05
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Now if you look at the evolution of the trade digitalization implementation between 2021 and 2025, so the good news is we see progress
SPEAKER_05
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in all the regions in fact and very significant progress. What I think is quite interesting is that although Southeast Anesthesia is doing well and also doing well, it's still doing even, I mean doing better and it keep improving. So they really have a good attention to trade digitalization in that particular part of the world. And then you can see in comparison for example that the developed economies so progress, yes there is progress, but in percentage point terms. So it's quite a few, quite, quite a lot less. Pacific Islands, although they come from behind, also see quite a few, quite a lot of progress on trade digitalization.
SPEAKER_05
(7092.42 - 7099.94)
So again, taking the UNCF Survey 2025 data, we have the top 10 trade digitalizers there as a list. So Australia,
SPEAKER_05
(7101.46 - 7139.43)
Austria, Belgium, New Zealand, Qatar, Republic of Korea are doing very, very well. And then in, in developing countries, I mean not in developing countries, in country with special needs. So ldcs LLC indices and you can see Uzbekistan in fact, where the, where we organize the Asia Pacific Facilitation Forum a few years ago is doing very well. And then the countries that are making the most progress regardless of where they start from, right, include Bolivia, Cameroon, Iraq, Latvia, Oman, Togo and Trinidad and Tobago.
SPEAKER_02
(7139.43 - 7139.71)
Right.
SPEAKER_05
(7139.71 - 7224.38)
So just to give an idea of where things stands according to the UNTF survey, the 2025 data. Now if you look at the implementation of paperless trade measures, so this is like the first set of measures that we have in the trade digitalization index essentially. I mean automated custom system as I was mentioning, is implemented everywhere if not fully at all border points. I mean it's widely available, available. The most common or the most popular measure everybody wants to look at and know about is single window. So electronic single window system is implemented well implemented in more than 30% of of the countries and partially implemented now to or fully implemented in almost 70% of the countries. Right. So electronic single window system are being implemented and this is an area of focus by a lot of the countries at this point around the world. Now if you look at more narrow measures, application or electronic application, issuance of preferential certificate of origins, application for customs refunds, these kind of things, I mean this implementation of those measures is lower okay, we cover. I mean this is based on data from 174 countries.
SPEAKER_05
(7226.7 - 7271.42)
Now if you look at cross border paperless trade. So cross border paperless trade, again, much more difficult to achieve. I think if this wasn't clear earlier, the difference between paperless trade and cross border paperless trade is that paperless trade is electronic exchange of data and documents within the countries. For example, the trader submitting declaration electronically to its customs authorities. Cross border paper is electronic exchange of data and documents across countries. That's much more difficult to achieve. And so for this reason implementation of cross border Pay is at 49% only. And then you can see full implementation of most measures is below 20%.
SPEAKER_04
(7271.42 - 7271.78)
Right.
SPEAKER_05
(7272.84 - 7276.68)
A lot of efforts have been done on legal framework development.
SPEAKER_05
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A lot of countries are trying to issue to make their electronic transaction legal framework more complete. Like one of the model laws for example that is very popular and getting a lot of attention. It's not very popular in the sense that, I mean not too many accession to it or nominally. But that is being talked a lot about, let's say. Right. Is the model law on electronic transferable records.
SPEAKER_02
(7304.81 - 7305.13)
Right.
SPEAKER_05
(7305.13 - 7308.53)
ML etr, which is my good friend Luca Castellani is
SPEAKER_05
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help draft.
SPEAKER_06
(7311.25 - 7311.57)
Right.
SPEAKER_05
(7312.69 - 7325.41)
And then so this is one of the model laws from UNC TRO that can be helpful for electronic trading transaction. In particular electronic exchange of the bill of Levy.
SPEAKER_02
(7327.24 - 7327.48)
So.
SPEAKER_05
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So a lot of efforts there. But now in terms of actual electronic exchange of things. Right. Electronic of customs declaration, for example, electronic exchange of SPA certificates. This is probably the area where there is a. A lot of work being done. But still we are very far from having, you know, sanitary and phytoscience certificate exchange among all the trading partners. Right. Is still very much bilateral or small group of countries although they have the E Phyto system in place.
SPEAKER_06
(7359.13 - 7359.49)
Right.
SPEAKER_05
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And then electronic exchange of certificate of origin also is something that is being discussed a lot. But again based on the data we have from the survey is still a lot of reports. Eliminate there. Okay. So that's the overview of the TDI based on the latest data we have. Now let me go back to the. The more technical aspects and I just realized that this set, there's two or three slides here showing what you can do in terms of empirical work using the trade digitalization index. So one of the reasons we have this index is that you can use it in structural gravity models or other models to actually look at the impact of trade digitalization on trade or on other aspect of the economy. So I'm not going into the details here, but I just wanted, I thought it was useful to show you this. What we tried to do in, in the model we looked at the impact of each single paperless trade and cross border paperless trade measures the impact on trade. And so we calculated then the coefficient
SPEAKER_05
(7428.13 - 7452.29)
and then the bigger the coefficient, right. The larger the impact on trade. So this is kind of interesting to know even when you're thinking about the next tdi because what the coefficients tell, the higher coefficients tell you that at least in principle. Right. If the coefficient is large, that means that this has, this measure has a, has more of an impact on trade according to the modeling.
SPEAKER_06
(7452.45 - 7452.85)
Right.
SPEAKER_05
(7453.01 - 7455.49)
And that's what's quite interesting is that some of the
SPEAKER_05
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basic measures have very high impact. Right? So electronic submission of custom declaration, which is something that almost everybody's doing now. Right. Has, is found to have very high impact on trade. Now if you look at some of the other measures that are considered next generation advanced measures like cross border paper restraint measures, actually the model suggests that they have a little bit of a lesser. They are significant, right? Significant, but have a lesser impact on trade as such. So this is just food for thought. There is a lot of limitation with those models and also one of which being that all those measures are actually interrelated.
SPEAKER_05
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For example, if you haven't done electronic submission of customs declaration, probably you're not at the stage where you can do electronic exchange of certificate of origin or ISPA certificates.
SPEAKER_05
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And so yes, for most countries, if they haven't done electronic submission of concentration, they should probably do this first and not move to. But that, and that can explain some of the results. But I think this is worth thinking about as well. So now let me go back to the TDI 2025, 2026, way forward. So how could the index be improved for its 2025, 2026 edition? So this is it. Should we have additional measures added? So now we've got 15.
SPEAKER_04
(7549.51 - 7551.27)
Or should.
SPEAKER_05
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We change the weight of the measures? Is it okay to say that all the measures are equally important? I mean this is the easy way to go because as soon as you start putting weights, I mean you can argue forever. So that's the problem. But okay,
SPEAKER_05
(7568.03 - 7591.2)
is there any other available secondary data sources? So I mean, for example, other surveys, other initiatives that are being done where there are some focus or some small component on trade digitalization and can we take that stuff and then combine it with what we have from the UN survey paperless trade and cargo and make a better index? So you see some of the questions we have and then
SPEAKER_05
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would if, if we can't go that way or in addition to all those things, should we actually collect new primary data in 2026 to supplement the UNTF survey? Which potentially we can do because we are pretty good at doing surveys now. We've got the network, we've got everything. So we could do a small additional survey to collect more stuff on trade digitization. But so I'm happy to hear, and we are happy to hear feedback on any of that. In terms of timeline, the idea is to revise and update the TDI methodology by end of this year and then we're going to release a new data in 2026
SPEAKER_05
(7632.94 - 7636.22)
if we. Let me elaborate just a little bit on that
SPEAKER_05
(7637.82 - 7641.82)
on the way forward I mentioned. So what about adding measures from the UNTF survey
SPEAKER_05
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within the UNTF survey? Right now we took the paperless trade measures and the cross border paperless trade measures, put them together. But actually if we look at
SPEAKER_05
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the survey, there are other trade digitalization related measures that are in the survey. For example, in the agricultural trade facilitation component of the survey we have a specific measure on electronic application and issuance of SPS certificates.
SPEAKER_05
(7672.12 - 7693.4)
In the trade facilitation for E commerce component, this is a new part of the survey we added just this year we have electronic submission of custom declaration by postal operators and express carriers. So we already have the data for those actually. And then we also have in the E commerce facilitation component we have legal framework to facilitate cross border E commerce that is there as well.
SPEAKER_05
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And then from the green trade facilitation we have the E CITES electronic Citus application insurance section. So to what extent do we want, we want those measures to be incorporated into the trade digitalization index and again, should they have the same weight as the other measures? Right. So those are some of the questions. One possibility is to add new measures. And so I don't necessarily think the measures that are there are the most relevant. Right. So I'm not going to go into detail. So it's very purely illustrative. If you think of a trade digitalization measure that you think is very important and should be part of the survey. Think this is what we, we want to hear about, about that. The only one I think in the list that I'm quite keen about is actually participation in trade agreements with digital trade provisions. And one is because we have the data for this
SPEAKER_05
(7753.31 - 7797.78)
and I think it's quite relevant. I mean in a way, I mean this is also part of having a better legal framework Right. If your country is part of trade agreements that have digital trade provisions, then you obviously tend to be more ready for trade digitalization. And so that gives me a segue to tina. So Tina is a trade intelligence and negotiation advisor. And then under Tina we've got component of Tina is called legal Tina. And legal Tina features 500 plus text of trade agreements. This is the biggest, largest, most comprehensive database of trade agreements that we know of. Right. To date. It goes beyond the WTO database because it includes the one that are not.
SPEAKER_05
(7800.1 - 7840.98)
How do you say, how do you say the one that are not. I know the trade agreement that are not notified notified. So that's why it's a bit more comprehensive in that sense. And then you can use legal TINA to search trade agreements for anything. So if you're interested, for example, in artificial intelligence, you can type artificial intelligence and it will tell you all the agreement that have artificial intelligence in them and will tell you which provisions and show you the exact provisions that talks about artificial intelligence in, in the agreement. So based on that legal Tina, I think we can easily calculate some kind of indicator of digital trade provision in trade equivalence.
SPEAKER_04
(7842.82 - 7843.46)
Okay.
SPEAKER_05
(7844.26 - 7876.16)
A little bit more on the potential way forward. So if we integrate the existing, some of the measures that we, that I, that we discussed last two slides, this is the way the next trade index could look like with component on digital infrastructure and system, component on electronic documents and mission issuance, a component on digital payment systems, on cross border data exchange, on the legal and regulatory framework and on trade facilitation support tools.
SPEAKER_06
(7876.16 - 7876.48)
Right.
SPEAKER_05
(7876.96 - 7893.09)
Again, this is very illustrative, but just food for thoughts. We're not going to make any decisions today. I mean, we have another two months to actually, actually think about this. And that was my last slide, so I leave it at this. Thank you very much.
SPEAKER_04
(7894.93 - 7907.89)
Great. Thank you very much, Jan. And maybe you can put. Very informative. Yeah, maybe we can put the first row of questions up on, on the screen here. Yeah. So that we have them as a reference point.
SPEAKER_04
(7910.86 - 7926.14)
Just another household issue. We will make the presentations available on our website. So also those that are attending here virtually can get access to the presentation. So we will follow up on that.
SPEAKER_04
(7928.06 - 8020.07)
I think in the last session Anders mentioned that what we want to facilitate is exchange of goods, not exchange of paper. And that's of course true. What I think, listening to this, what we want to achieve is exchange of good and exchange of data. They need to follow each other. So, so this is what we have to focus on. And, and in the room here we have experts that I now would like to invite to give their review of this, come up with ideas and maybe refer to the questions we have on the screen, also those that are following us virtually. If you have comments to these questions, please provide your comments suggestions in the Q and A. And I have to admit that I made an error in my introduction because we have one more panelist that is not with us in the room, but with us virtually, namely Ms. Andrea Tang from Theater. Out of sight, out of mind. Sorry, Andrea, I should have mentioned you already at the beginning, but you will have a chance, of course, also to intervene. But so we have eight panelists. So let us start because we have about one hour left. So I would like to start with Sylvia Suresco from oecd. So the floor is yours and I think you have a presentation as well.
SPEAKER_01
(8020.95 - 8102.22)
Thank you. Thank you so much, Paul. And thank you so much, Jan, for, you know, walking us through the great tdi. I'm a big fan. I think what, what I wanted to do in the presentation is a bit of a mix, refer to some of the work that we're doing, but also trying maybe to provide some thoughts and yeah, maybe out of out of the box ideas of also ways forward for the TDI and again and how we can maybe find some synergies between our streams of work. So for this I will rely a lot on actually a paper that we just released in its glossy format last Tuesday. And since we're fans of moving goods and not paper, we've titled this Going Paperless Today, Going Paperless Tomorrow. And this is co authored with my colleague Javier Lopez from boecd. So we look here at the different building blocks that we find should underpin this concept of going paperless. And I think the pillar that is most related to also the issues, different issues that we're discussing here is the one that focuses on the adoption of the enabling regulation. And if we can go to the next slide,
SPEAKER_01
(8104.15 - 8203.54)
we also devised this into three pillars. So what we try to look in this lens of going paperless along the supply chain to say so. So what needs to happen not just at the border, but also behind the border and beyond the border, we look at issues that have to do with frameworks for conducting transactions electronically. So, Jan, you've already mentioned some of the issues that are being discussed right now, for instance, in terms of transferable records, but we think there are several others in terms of authentication, digital identity, also something that is coming up increasingly now, signatures, payments, invoices. Then of course, we have the part at the border and then here again, drawing on the work that we have been doing on the trade facilitation indicators, we can point to also to the different elements that matter for digitalizing that the border. And last but not least, something that particularly my colleague Javier has been looking quite a lot at recently is the cross border exchange of data. And here not just in terms of the legal underpinnings, in terms of how you can exchange data between the different agencies, but also some of the barriers actually that affect these flows which we can see that are very much increasing. We've talked a lot about personal data, but now we're starting to look at everything that is framed under non personal data, which is basically anything that is not personal. And we see that there are increasing barriers here that have to do with market access, sustainability requirements and so on. So we can go to the next slide.
SPEAKER_01
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How do we look at the frameworks for enabling electronic transactions? And here it leads me maybe to some of the issues that I think were put through Jan's question. What kind of other aspects maybe we could cover and how to sort of maybe cross reference or cross use with some of the other existing indicators and surveys. So in the frameworks for enabling electronic transactions what we do is that we draw on two of our internal databases. So one is the Digital Services Trade Restrictiveness Index, which covers an increasingly number of countries, including through great collaboration with SDAP and the other UN regional economic commissions. And here we do cover some of the barriers that affect the signatures E contracts, but also some of these aspects that have to do with barrier on infrastructure and connectivity, also known as the cross border data flows issues. What we also look at here is aspects that indeed have to do with how things are being covered in trade agreements, be it through chapters that focus specifically on E commerce and our digital trade, but also these new types of digital economic partnerships, digital trade agreements and so on. And we actually have an indicator that tries to package all this together. It is going to be released at the WTO Public Forum incidentally on Thursday and again has been spearheaded by my colleague Javier Lopez and it's called the Index of Digital Trade Integration and Openness. We'll definitely look more into Tina. What we have been using so far is the taped database from the University of Lausanne, because that already basically provides categorization of the provisions so whether something is not covered, whether it is included, but perhaps not in a under biting commitments or whether those commitments are made mandatory. So that allows us already with a categorization that we can then translate for our own scoring within the Indigo we go to the next slide
SPEAKER_01
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for the aspects at the border as I was noting we drawn the trade facilities facilitation indicators which cover 163 economies and here where I, I was thinking we, you know we could maybe find those synergies is that I think you have a lot of issues in the TDI that we unfortunately did not capture so far. And I think that mostly relate to the different documents aspects which are really important. I mean you were mentioning a lot on the origin, on the sps, on the letter of credit and so on. So those are issues that unfortunately are not disaggregating that much. But I think but perhaps we could fit in more is the issues around the cross border exchange of data as it relates to customs and other agencies and that is on the domestic side but also cross border between trading partners. And here well that is obviously important for also risk management issues for authorized operators and many other aspects. One aspect that we've been grappling with, and I was already alluding to this this in the last session, is how we can gather more information on the implementation and practice on this issue. So I think we're doing a good job in managing to capture whether countries have frameworks for pre arrival processing for digital single windows and so on. But we know much less in practice how many transactions are covered. We know that perhaps if you want to trade towards a specific borders or specific border post, if you send that information in advance it may not be easily processed in the same way. And I think that these are issues that we're struggling with and the same in risk management for instance, we maybe do not know that much for a wide range of economies how that is implemented in practice. And if we go to the next slide, which is also my final slide is as I was alluding to the cross border data exchange which we see as something that is increasingly important and again how to think a little bit further of capturing the issues here. So indeed we have already some of the aspects that we're covering through the trade facilitation indicator in terms of these mechanisms of exchange, some of the barriers through the digital services trade restrictiveness index but there's probably much more that we're still missing. And then for now we just tried to do a mapping of what these barriers to non personal data flows might be and we see that the stated objectives of some of these identified measures really vary. So there's a lot it has to do with data security, it's a lot with regulatory compliance, market access issues also Sustainability and here again that links to some of these new regulatory upcoming legislation and so on and also private sector data sharing and reuse. So again to think that of course it's important to have those mechanisms to exchange between the agencies but there might be also those barriers that matter and how can we find this balance between including these in one indicator that might be able to reflect these issues. So I'll stop here and definitely looking forward to hearing together.
SPEAKER_03
(8535.55 - 8536.43)
Thank you so much.
SPEAKER_04
(8537.23 - 8543.71)
Thank you very much Sylvia. A lot of interesting work already and a lot of interesting ideas. I think
SPEAKER_04
(8545.23 - 8609.12)
when I hear this I'm also thinking and actually there are some questions also on the Q and A. I mean many of the countries that we see in the trade Facilitation survey that maybe need to further upgrade and enhance developing countries and in many of these countries large part of the traders are MSMEs. And so I think this is definitely something we also have to have in mind when we are discussing this and seeing how we can further enhance their opportunity to participate in this and also to the digitalization of trade measures. But thank you very much for this and I think this is food for thought. Gathering information in practice is definitely something that is important as well. And I'm thinking could we use some of those structures that we have for instance in the trade facilitation agreements such as the NTFCs could we use them more efficiently to get some of this data?
SPEAKER_04
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Having said that, we turn over to the next Christian Lenke from World Customs Organization. And Christian, I think you'll have a presentation as well. We will put it on the screen.
SPEAKER_07
(8621.59 - 8625.99)
Exactly. And you already shout. Not sure if you can hear me.
SPEAKER_02
(8625.99 - 8627.51)
Properly from here online.
SPEAKER_04
(8627.67 - 8630.07)
Just shout. You can also move up.
SPEAKER_16
(8630.31 - 8630.79)
You can.
SPEAKER_05
(8630.95 - 8636.23)
Yeah, I think I should be okay. I know it depends because it's maybe.
SPEAKER_07
(8636.23 - 8639.84)
Maybe some online person get good feedback if. If I'm clear and loud.
SPEAKER_04
(8639.84 - 8642.84)
Yeah, we will see it here. If you are sure.
SPEAKER_07
(8642.84 - 8644.08)
If I'm audible.
SPEAKER_17
(8643.4 - 8646.2)
Unheard of microphone is here.
SPEAKER_07
(8649.52 - 8650.24)
Let's try.
SPEAKER_07
(8652.64 - 8679.96)
Thank you so much for the invitation and giving us a chance to present from the WCO side. So I was thinking what to present. I don't have specific recommendations for. For the improvement of instruments but it was very insightful. Thanks so much Jan for sharing this. And we have something similar in place just recently. It's the first version, we published it last year
SPEAKER_07
(8681.56 - 8718.62)
and we call it the WCO Performance Measurement Mechanism. What is wco? Just very brief because not everybody might know us. We are the only governmental organization, independent organization with 186 customs administration which are our members and they are responsible for 98% of the world trade and we have a huge network of custom administration and it's very clear that we also want to have something to measure the impact of our instruments and also to measure the performance of our passport administration. So last. Next slide please.
SPEAKER_07
(8721.02 - 8806.61)
So the WCO Performance Measurement Mechanism or PMM outlines the methodology for assessing the efficiency and effectiveness of all customs competence structured around four dimensions of customs performance. So it's not only related to visual trade but I will show you later two KPIs which are specifically for table is created. The four performance dimensions are further broken down to specific expected outcomes with the corresponding key performance indicator or KPIs. The PMM also aims at measuring the application of our WCO instruments and tools that have a major impact on the corresponding expected outcomes under the pmm. The PIM is also met in relation to Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations. The first version of the PM includes only a limited set of 23 expected outcomes with the corresponding KPIs. The assessment itself is voluntary, so it's up to members if they want to provide the data. We set up digital platform where they can provide this. So we try to make it very easy not sharing Excel sheets or online. False. We have specific platform for this,
SPEAKER_07
(8808.93 - 8818.85)
the peer review. There's also peer review in place that's not only self assessment but we have also peer reviewed in the customs community to
SPEAKER_07
(8820.37 - 8831.98)
acknowledge or to check the figures. The peer review will be conducted only if members requested it after the self assessment stage. However, the completion of the peer review
SPEAKER_07
(8833.66 - 8904.44)
should be necessary for a thorough performance evaluation. Of course it will enable the to ensure data quality and to provide evidence based technical assistance and capacity building support. So we also use it to identify the need for capacity buildings among our members. Next slide please. All data in the first cycle of the PMM and consequently being reflected in the report which refers to data for the year 2022. The KPI results disclosed in this report are aggregated statistics at group level by region, income, geography and the type of administration registration rather than at the member level if there's only one member in the group. The KPI result is shown Only when the KPI's disclosure policy permits a public disclosure. When the disclosure policy of the KPI is at the WCO level, union level or country national level group level. Results with only one member removed from the report
SPEAKER_07
(8906.13 - 8933.8)
for the quantitative KPIs analyzed are based on their global average for qualitative KPI calculate on the basis of binary answers which is for Example yes or no results are more likely to be swept towards higher values. The mean value is used for the analysis. Next slide. So we have. I brought two KPIs. We have as I mentioned, based on.
SPEAKER_02
(8937.08 - 8937.96)
Electronic.
SPEAKER_07
(8940.04 - 9009.67)
Based on electronic declarations in this case. So the KPI of the rates of electronic declaration measures which you had also in your survey as well, it shows the percentage of declarations import, export, transit and cargo as uplift electronically through the single window. This is an important KPI indicating the rate of optimization of passage procedures and the degree of adaption of payroll straight. So we have. In total we have the response is 53 and the results for this KPI are as you can see, relatively high with a global average of 98.1%. I saw a similar figure in your slides as well which indicates a high level of adaption of electronic regulations across all lesions and groupings with limited application of paper form and customs procedures. This KPI also had a high percentage of responses with only nine of 62 countries leaving a claim. So as I said, it's not mandatory to fill out all the information. But 53 responded to this specific KPI
SPEAKER_07
(9011.99 - 9022.51)
in terms of the WCO region. The results indicate that west and Central Africa was the only dossier region with an overall score below the average. So this could
SPEAKER_07
(9025.47 - 9036.43)
destroy more capacity building in this region as well. Then we have. I brought you a second KPI related to digital trades. Next slide please.
SPEAKER_07
(9040.83 - 9132.21)
Oh yeah, Data science. Sorry. So you might the KPI on data standardization. This KPI tracks the percentage of customs declaration having undergone process of data science agents reception. Specifically we asked for data model here. This is our data standard or a standardized data language for the for cross for regulatory agencies data requirements and the indicator measures the conformity of the different types of customs declarations. Link context for transferring target with the dossy data model. Both this and the previous KPI showed you contribute to the primary expected outcome of paperless trained. The average result for this paper was 76.4% among the 41 responding members. Overall, 29.3% or 12 members scored below the global average. This is maybe twice as much as for the previous KPI indicating that while a high number of other questions are just right, not all of them are aligned with the data model. You can also see that specific for developing countries the essentials lower could be that they have already old system in place using a proprietary standard. And for example most of the developing countries rely on on the asycruda system which is to some extent mapped to the data model.
SPEAKER_02
(9134.77 - 9135.17)
Yeah.
SPEAKER_07
(9135.17 - 9189.87)
Next Slide I just want to show you that you will find all the information in interactive Data Dashboard. It's public available pmm.wcl.org and all KPIs which are not restricted. We published either in this interactive form where you can choose what kind of data points you want to see, how you want to group it. So it's completely interactive. And furthermore we developed a report and publishes as a PDF. You can find it under this QR code, also free available on our WCR website. And the next cycle will be end of this year where we will with the project team, with our members discuss how we can improve it like you are doing it at the moment.
SPEAKER_02
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And.
SPEAKER_07
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Then we might release it with the data of this year or last year depends on the outcome of the discussion. So we try to have it have the latest data as possible available but some members need more time to aggregate such kind of data. And also we are working very close with all departments of the wco. All of them have focal points. So for example data model, I'm the focal point and we give recommendations what could be good KPI to measure the implementation of the success of our instrumental tools. Yeah, mentions that it was from my side and of course if there are any questions available. So this is. We might find some way for synergies as we are very. As we have similar goals. The same goals I would say and very similar instrument as you can see. Thank you.
SPEAKER_04
(9249.98 - 9300.31)
Thank you very much Christian and very interesting data and I really also appreciate that it is publicly available at least and of course this is consolidated data so it is not as sensitive. But just in the ASICUDA system that OMTLAD is deploying in many countries we see that a lot of these performance management data are quite sensitive and quite often not data that customs authorities are very keen on sharing either with other public authorities or private authorities. But I think this is really interesting and I will leave it to Janet maybe at the end Jan, that you can wrap up to try and see how we can consolidate the data that you have here with some of the data that we have.
SPEAKER_04
(9303.83 - 9331.2)
I think we move on. And if I may, before I ask Bill to take the floor then I would like to ask for private sector view here and then maybe bring in Andrea who is online, Andrea Tang from FIATA to give her view on on the discussion here. And Andrea, I think you also have a presentation that we will put on the screen here. Andrea, the floor is yours.
SPEAKER_08
(9332.08 - 9341.2)
Thank you very much Paul and thank you very much for the invitation to be with you today. Can I just check? Can you see my screen now?
SPEAKER_04
(9343.53 - 9346.65)
Not yet. Oh, but it's starting I think.
SPEAKER_02
(9346.81 - 9347.45)
Okay.
SPEAKER_04
(9348.09 - 9349.29)
Yes, there you are.
SPEAKER_08
(9350.09 - 9397.61)
Okay. So as Paul mentioned, I am offering more of a view from the private sector, a little bit of information about some of the challenges that are faced by our members. So FIATA represents the freight forwarding and logistics industry, representing members in approximately 150 plus territories. And we represent about 40,000 freight forwarding companies worldwide, many of whom are micro, small, medium sized enterprises as well. And so before going into some of the details, I think it's important as well to look a little bit at the context. And you know, I mean, I think we all know here in the room and virtually why digitalization is so important.
SPEAKER_08
(9399.29 - 9517.01)
But I think that now in today's ever evolving trade environment, the new challenges that we have, the need to ensure that trade can continue to move along trade corridors, both established ones and ones that are under development, I think this is really provides even more of an opportunity for digitalization to demonstrate how it can really help to facilitate trade and help to ensure that, for example, in terms of anticipation, preparation and responsiveness, we're able to really be more resilient in the global supply chains. And so here I put digitalization on one side, but I think another point that's very important is multimodality. Here we see more and more that there is a need to ensure that trade can move using various modes of transport, sometimes in a very unplanned fashion, considering that there may be new disruptions taking place in supply chains or new challenges that might make it more complicated to use one transport mode over another. And so the reason why I highlight this is because what we see at fiat is that sometimes, you know, as freight forwarders we're, you know, working with all the different modes of transport. We're working very much with many different stakeholders in the supply chain. And what we see is that there can sometimes be a little bit of fragmentation in terms of how true digitalization is done. There are many initiatives ongoing. But what we would like to stress as well that it was important that in order for digitalization to fulfill its objective, that there is this harmonization and not fragmentation. So, and I think that this is something that is very important to be able to respond to the market needs. So with that in mind, I will now move on to my next slide.
SPEAKER_08
(9518.61 - 9549.01)
So recently, so this is kind of a very mini preview of a survey that we did very recently with our members, which will actually be published as part of our Fiat Markets report, which will be released, I believe in a few weeks prior to the Fiat World Congress. So each year Fiat conducts a report which provides a bit of information on the global trends and also a spotlight on a specific region depending on where we're having our Fiat World Congress
SPEAKER_08
(9551.03 - 9599.24)
that year. So this year our Theatre World Congress will be in Vietnam. So we're spotlighting in region Asia Pacific and especially looking into really, really Southeast Asia. And so this is just a small preview, but I think what is I found very interesting here is that technology is really expected to have some of the greatest impacts on the logistics industry in 2020 26. As you can see on the right hand graph. E Commerce, Digitalization, Automation, Artificial Intelligence. But more, the first three are scoring particularly highly in terms of the perception of the industry as to what would be most impactful. But yet technology together with infrastructure are
SPEAKER_08
(9601.08 - 9693.55)
one of the areas that requires the, the most development in logistics at the moment. And I must say as well that the reason also that we found this quite interesting is because last year we did the survey focused on Latin America region and the results were basically almost exactly the same in this regard. So I think what we see is also that in terms of regulations, however if you see on the left hand side, left hand side regulation scores a bit lower in terms of area requiring most development in logistics. But I think that here what we noticed is that because in logistics our members tend to focus a lot more on the short term issues. So infrastructure, technology, these are the part points where they really see the immediate challenges, the immediate need for development. Whereas regulation is something that for them is a model of a longer term consideration. So perhaps less, yeah, less vital in the short term for them. But as we will see, regulations are really crucial to be able to enable this environment from a digital trade perspective. So I just wanted to share that with you, I thought it was quite interesting and also I would say that whilst infrastructure is the area requiring most development, this is probably something that we can, can read a little bit to be hand in hand when considering digital trade development as well, because there will be aspects of this that would be very much related to digitalization which could then strengthen further the infrastructure.
SPEAKER_08
(9695.23 - 9775.6)
So in terms of Fiasco's approach to trade digitalization. So, and this is something that we also advocate very strongly in terms of how we would see, you know, you know, others to also try to digitalize as well. So we really think that what's important is to ensure that we can use digitalization as a tool and to really be able to use it to also facilitate market access for all actors worldwide. We see very often amongst our members that whilst there are some that find, you know, that might have be at a different stage of digitalization, there are others that really have great difficulties in terms of resources, in terms of the particular region that they're in and the regulatory landscape there, or the approaches there. And so we really want to take this in a way that can ensure the greatest accessibility. And to do so we look at it in a threefold manner. So first of all, really looking to collaborate to foster digital standards for a cohesive digital future. So with that, again, as mentioned earlier in my introduction, we see it very important that all actors are involved across the supply chain to be able to work towards more harmonized digital standards.
SPEAKER_08
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And we also work to map digital data standards for technical interoperability. So we do so, for example with the UNCFACT reference standard, but also working at the moment with the WCO to try and look at how we can build a customs compatible API for our particular solution, which is the FIATA Electronic Bill of Lading and then finally trying to promote legal standardization and certainty as well.
SPEAKER_08
(9808.61 - 9956.03)
So in terms of some of the benefits that we see for digitalizing trade documents and digital generally. So I share these examples. Really looking at the electronic theatre bill of Lading, I didn't want to take up too much of your time in the, in the discussion, so I refrained from adding the more slides to explain how the electronic theatre Bill of Lading works. But I think for these purposes it's probably just useful to show how we've seen it, seen it be able to facilitate more streamlined verification and processing of cargo, also being able to ensure greater visibility and being able to aid customs compliance. So the FIATA Electronic FIATA Multimodal Bill of Lading is really a solution that we've created to digitalize the paper version that we have. And it relies on a secure system and digital identities to ensure that those that interact with the documents can be of the data can be sure that it is trusted, that it is something that can be relied on. And also we work to ensure that it is interoperable with other digital initiatives and digital systems so that the data can be then transmitted to, for example, customs, to other supply chain stakeholders and so forth. So what we see is that digitalization can really provide greater security. It can provide trusted firsthand information on the cargo origin, destination and parties. And I know that there is a lot of, there were some indicators on the TDI regarding the more customs related compliance aspects and some of the of the aspects that need to be submitted in advance. And I think this is something that is also very important when we look at this trade digitalization, to consider how we can use it to really aid regulatory compliance as well. Also, the ability to adapt to environments where paper is still required is something that remains crucial, mostly because in many instances we have seen that whilst, and I thought it was quite interesting, actually, you're looking at the level, level of implementation for some of the countries in terms of the various indicators. Because what we have seen is that whilst there are some countries that are of course very much
SPEAKER_08
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ahead in terms of implementation, there are many that are either having implemented it on paper but not necessarily having implemented it in practice. And I think this is something where, for example, there's perhaps a need for greater coordination,
SPEAKER_08
(9978.96 - 10001.75)
both in terms of the various government agencies or in terms of the mindset. And I think here change management, which is probably something very difficult to be able to measure, is something that we've seen time and time again to be a very key challenge, simply because whilst the infrastructure for digitalization might be there, there's still the general reluctance or mistrust
SPEAKER_08
(10003.99 - 10020.23)
regarding digital processes. So here we've seen that for FIATA side, the fact that we have the EFBL able to adapt to environments where paper is still required, it remains important. But of course we would like it to be at some point fully digital.
SPEAKER_08
(10022.15 - 10087.27)
We see also that digital identities and networks of trust are key to being able to ensure that we can have this trust and verification of the data. And I will also go into a bit more information about that afterwards. And finally we see that trust in terms of with third parties and exchanging data with different third parties remains really something that is a key factor. So there's been a lot of talk, I think, about zero trust architecture, about how to ensure greater security. And this is something that is probably very important in terms of trade digitalization today. And something where I even wonder some. I was even wondering when putting this presentation together and looking at the tdi, whether there should be some kind of indicator based on data governance regulation or data protection regulation, because this is something that is considered in the industry to be quite a key hurdle when it comes to whether they should trust a system and trust exchanging their data in this digital manner.
SPEAKER_04
(10089.75 - 10093.43)
Do you think you can rev up in a minute or something like that?
SPEAKER_08
(10093.75 - 10162.92)
Yeah, yeah, I'm two minutes away, one minute away now. So I mentioned here the UNC chart, NCT convention, simply because it's something that I probably many of you already know about but it's a key development that would be probably a big driver for digital trade. And we are really trying to promote this convention because we see this as being very important both for multimodal transport and for digitalization generally. And I think finally some, some final reflections are that in terms of key priorities we see of course harmonization of Detroit digitalization standards and solutions, building trusted networks and ensuring strong data governance is really key. Ensuring harmonized legal frameworks, mutual recognition mechanisms remains really critical, we think to being able to facilitate cross border paperless trade. And finally as mentioned, just ensuring accessibility for companies of all sizes and countries in all stages of development. So that's really what we see from our side. But happy to take any questions. Thank you.
SPEAKER_04
(10164.28 - 10199.03)
Great. Thank you very much and thank you for that contribution. I think one of your initial comments was to try and avoid fragmentation and I think that is really very important and building on something where we have multilateral approach. Your survey was interesting and of course Fiat has been very involved in this e Bill of lading development. So I think input from your side will be important here. And data governance I can imagine for companies is very important.
SPEAKER_04
(10200.95 - 10214.7)
We have 25 minutes left or so and we have five speakers left. So I will immediately go to Bill. You have been very quiet today, so now it's your turn.
SPEAKER_02
(10215.66 - 10217.02)
25 minutes will do it.
SPEAKER_04
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So Bill, the floor is yours.
SPEAKER_02
(10220.86 - 10240.04)
Thank you Paul, thank you. It's a pleasure to be part of this, this seminar and it's been very enlightening, I think for those who don't know me. My name is Bill Gain and I lead the track with customers reform and border management work in Oil bank based in Washington D.C. and spend most of my life
SPEAKER_02
(10242.2 - 10243.8)
because it's the center of the world. Right.
SPEAKER_02
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So again we're pleased to be here and you know, digitization is really important. Digitalization is very important. And a few kind of opening comments and then you know, I'll get to some recommendations that I've been thinking about during the session mostly today. But preparation is key for digitalization. You know, you just don't take a system and turn it off, you know. And in the World bank we do a lot of work around digitalization, trade facilitation agreement, single window, little systems, business systems, all sorts of systems, you know, from trade, but also in many other thematic areas, finance and you know, all sorts of stuff, transport, roads, etc. And what is called common, I think in any digitalization project is really that preparation and diagnostic and baseline and looking at opening your digitalization through global standards. The WCO data model is critical. The UNEC standards are absolutely critical. So that everybody's on the same page and knowledge locked to a particular system. But you can, and this is where I think, you know, as a group is going. And it's really pleased. You can see that as in 5.0 is going to be anything that we as a d. It doesn't matter what it's going to be and it's going to be open source and those are the principles that are really important. And then connecting it at the country level through the national trade facilitation committees. So you have that whole government approach is not about customs in your government. And I'm a customs guy, you know, it's about taking everybody together. And one of the things that we saw during COVID was the emergence of ministries that were just not visible before, particularly Ministry Health. And so I think again it's that whole of government approach. The digitalization is not just for the customs declaration process and system. And so starting with that baseline, but having digitalization is fine, but if no one's using it, it's not fine. And so what's the uptake? That's what's really key, you know, and I see a lot of these surveys and we see 98, 100, maybe, maybe not. Right. You know, so that's again, you know, something that we need to find a way to triangulate the server.
SPEAKER_02
(10382.78 - 10495.5)
You know, you know, we had a doing survey once in the World bank and you know, it had problems and we no longer have it, but we have be ready and I can talk a bit about what that's going to look like, the digitalization shortening. But again, you know, it was survey based and a lot of the surveys could be improved. The answers could have been improved and you know, the action taken on the answers, you know, could have been improved at keeping some triangulation and validation on the ground. So baseline's key track use over time I think is key. You know, what's the use of and percentage of each of those documents that have been digitalized. It's very easy to say that you have a customs declaration, but you know, does it really matter that the green phones are electrons at the moment? Probably not. Right. But what's critical is to get that key document, which is the declaration and any supporting documents digitized, but not with paper, without paper. And we still see nearly in every country, developing country, not everyone, but in many, many countries, whenever they automate, they automate the paint. I mean, and that's where the preparation is key because you have to be very sure that you have implemented a digitalization of the process without the pain. And, and you know, it's about the data elements, it's not about the PDFs. And so again I think there's a lot of work to be done around that. You know, I measure the agency integration and workflow quality. It's you know, not just customs, it's the other government agencies, you know, quarantine, biosecurity, sbs agencies are critical and they need to be, I think in the first rollout, not the last roll out. So that's, and when you're measuring, you know, really you need to look at the three dimensions. You know, does it, does it kind of work for the government agency? Does it work for the private sector?
SPEAKER_02
(10497.17 - 10618.7)
And is the policy in place to ensure that the privacy gets dealer? And that's in a way we have my CC Northern fiata. It's very clear they're not feeling it everywhere. So leading to your follow up and I think to follow up, you know, it's really important to use what's out there. And the trade facilitation agreement from Jesse is far from fully implemented. And you know, we see that on the ground. You know, we have you know, up to 70 projects on the ground around trade facilitation and particularly the agreement. And it's very clear that, you know, they've said that they'll implement by, you know, January 2025 and now everybody thinks it's done because they didn't under article 16.4 come back and say that their progress is zero. And so again the data, we've got to really look at what the data sees and try and find a way to triangulate that data to get the right capacity building support program in place. A couple of examples, you know, of the sequencing which is important. Fiji I like to talk about, I come from the Pacific islands is as we saw, one of the lowest regions, 30% implementation for digitalization. And it's about, you know, looking at sequencing of activities and reform programs that build reform on reform. And so we, we helped Fiji, you know, automate their, their manatees and improved, you know, significantly the time for clearance of food and sps and plant products particularly because they weren't seeing what there was to see before they could automate the manifest. And this has led to their, you know, their, their vision on single window. So we were about to embark on an ambitious $100 million program to build a single window in six specific islands. It was approved by our board last week. So we'll see that 30%, hopefully improve over the next couple of years quite quickly. And we're working with OTAG and the Azikudi team to put that solution in place.
SPEAKER_02
(10620.94 - 10636.31)
But again, it's the preparation is key. The digitalization, gap analysis and roadmaps, blueprints, whatever you want to call them, but through the governance of the National Trade Facilitation Committee to make sure that all stakeholders are at the table.
SPEAKER_02
(10639.03 - 10671.24)
We've heard a little bit about cyber security and I think that's one of the really important areas. And you'll see in the upcoming active single window online training course that Jan and I are developing. These are a nice module around cybersecurity and I think that'll be really, really useful. As we heard from the private sector that that's one of the important components that will drive the acceptance of digitalization and driving the uptake and the use of it and the trust in those systems, which is also absolutely critical.
SPEAKER_02
(10672.92 - 10794.09)
So yeah, let's say look at recommendations for the index. One would be cybersecurity security and put something in there about that so we can measure it over time and see where the gaps might be. And that can really drive the capacity building. I think use the trade Facilitation Agreement framework as a way to triangulate what you're getting from your survey and your survey and what you're doing with Geneva. I think, you know, that makes sense. And then of course all of the surveys that we see are doing. I really like tfi. I think it has a really good story. Again, it's not validated on the ground operationally, but I think that's where you need to triangulate like a weirdo with, you know, what we're seeing in the committee. Right. And what's happening in the World bank and what's happening in oeb because that's where the actual on the ground experience and reporting is coming. And you know, maybe through the committee you can ask for more detailed reporting about certain measures that can then feed back to everybody else because you have the people in the room and you had the, the NHB organization that are providing a support in the room. So again there, I think there's some potential there. Jenna, we can do more on. Jenna, I, you know, we talk a lot, a lot about Jenna today, but I think some of it was more about entrepreneurs and small scale traders as opposed to at the firm level. We have an instrument that measures constraints based by women owned legal managed firms and four Common issues that we've seen come out of that instrument, which we've run in about 15 countries, is women traders have less access to information, less access to benefits like the AEO program or the AO program under the pfa, less opportunity to participate in the national trade facilitation committees and less opportunity to understand test procedures and be involved in the writing of that policy. Because it's just the policy response and we'll try and give you more work around that.
SPEAKER_02
(10795.61 - 10858.34)
On weightings, I think you need to look at maybe what's real time and what's not real time. What can be looked at perhaps later out of those 15 measures or maybe weight the real time measures higher than those like I mentioned before, electronic, you know, application or repos, not that important. Right, because it's, you know, it's going to happen later anyway. But you know, having automation and custom declaration, Exchange of data, etc. Is really more important and more critical. And data, you need to look at what's low risk and what's high risk. You know, there's a lot of international kind of principles around sharing information that might have an end use effect. So that's high risk, but low risk. You know, you can sanitize information and exchange, you know, what's being imported and exported, the mirror data and all that stuff. It's really useful for analytical work and so there's no reason for that not to be followed through on. I think that's probably about all I've got. If you've got time and you want me to talk about hearing.
SPEAKER_04
(10858.42 - 10863.94)
No, we have no time. We would love to hear more from you, Bill, but not today.
SPEAKER_02
(10864.64 - 10878.24)
The B ready is now? Yeah, it's under piloting. It's going to have digitization around it as well as many other things. We still hope that it'll be useful, but it's not going to be the same as what you thought it might.
SPEAKER_04
(10878.8 - 10886.48)
But again, what you were saying, triangulate data from various sources. It can also be very important in that respect.
SPEAKER_04
(10888.16 - 10931.17)
And I think the cyber security question came up out clearly also what you said. And then this issue about real time is the weight of the various measures that we are having in here. Should it be the same? I think that's an important issue to also consider in the future for us. Okay, now we have heard from the World bank. Maybe we can move to one of the regional banks. So maybe I could ask Pramila Kelly from the Asian Development bank to intervene. And right now we have 11 minutes and we still have four speakers I'm not saying that you should cut down your presentation but maybe try to compress it as much as possible.
SPEAKER_04
(10934.53 - 10937.57)
Okay, so the floor is yours.
SPEAKER_03
(10937.57 - 11012.61)
Thank you very much for inviting me. Well, I hope people can hear me. Do my best to speak up. So yeah, I'll come for a presentation presentation simply because I think many things that I was about to say have been already said and I'll be much more what the word has already been said and earlier presenters. So I'll go quickly but I wanted to well this I think let's just keep it directly go straight to some maybe specific suggestions and discussing more specifically on the index itself. So. Well, somehow it's difficult because it's just there is a mistake divided by 15 like I will further explain but what I'm more curious about is about the stakeholder sampling and how exactly it works because I understand that you have government but also private sector and then you lump them together. And I was actually curious to know if you can also report data by stakeholders because I suppose that you have, you know, I don't know how you're sampling the companies or if you're just looking at business associations and how these are the answers will be consistent with the
SPEAKER_03
(11014.77 - 11039.31)
authority side and you know, lumping them together might be a little bit tricky. So that's something I want to know about. If something is randomized, do you look at exporting firms? Do you look at you know, firms trading domestically shares? I mean these are issues that are important when you run a survey make sure you know that the data and something is represented.
SPEAKER_05
(11039.31 - 11053.62)
Yeah, yeah. Very, very quickly on this because just to avoid confusion, right. This is considered to be a fact based survey. Not so there is no sample. We just call it. We, we consult experts think what is this measure implemented or not.
SPEAKER_06
(11053.86 - 11054.26)
Right.
SPEAKER_05
(11054.58 - 11061.3)
And then is the expert disagree? We discuss with both. We do our own research and we find, we decide okay, this is the same.
SPEAKER_04
(11061.46 - 11062.26)
So no, no.
SPEAKER_05
(11064.5 - 11101.38)
Yeah, yeah. So a lot of it, a lot of it is based on, on our own research. Right. Desk research. One, one thing that is very important that we always wanted to do but we. It would be very useful to replicate the survey almost the same using almost the same questionnaire and get exactly do a perception survey from the private sector side because right now what we have in the, in the survey the result, you can say this is more government side because it's all validated by government. So problem is doing the private sector side costs a lot of money we don't have.
SPEAKER_03
(11102.43 - 11105.95)
All right, well my suggestion was but.
SPEAKER_05
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Good.
SPEAKER_03
(11109.15 - 11165.35)
Because I just read the methodology and it is mentioned like even in the questionnaire you can select private sector representatives so that was my question who are those private sector representative answering the survey and how do you match their answers with the government official center? Well consistency across here has been mentioned already how we ensure that you know the survey is comparable over the years that's a question I have and the last point is related to what has been mentioned earlier by the WTO I think would be very interesting to also cross check the data with the self assessment if you think of you know dimension Cambodia has notified like full implementation of fake facilitation agreements this this year But I think in practice it's not really the case and which countries have bigger discrepancies between the notification, the
SPEAKER_03
(11167.19 - 11253.1)
implementation or the declared implementation and your surveys I think that be quite interesting Next slide. Yeah, that is a question do you have contradictory answers like if you have the private. I don't know exactly from the private sector but and also from the government and how do you treat these kind of cases? Do you consider this as partial or do you consider this as full? And that's. That's just the question I have now on the treatment of answers when people don't know I understand that you consider that zero as not implemented and there I have a. I mean I'm wondering if this could underestimate the problem but also if we are mixing up, you know the messages here because I think a lack of awareness is not necessarily a lack of implementation and it also has very different policy implications because in one case not least awareness in the other implementation. So is it possible on that one to just be complete or at least compare what how the index will change if you were to treat those negroes in a different way. That's just a question I had so that's it for the methodology Next slide please Abraham. So this. I will also skip it you a little bit.
SPEAKER_05
(11253.1 - 11256.5)
Yeah we can discuss this separately because it's going to be a bit too complicated.
SPEAKER_18
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But.
SPEAKER_03
(11259.26 - 11283.6)
I think I just saw a fair amount talk in general about the fact that first ADB is really supportive of digitalization and trade facilitation so of course digital facilitation is really important and one areas that we are interest interested in deepening is health development technology especially AI in the context of facilitation
SPEAKER_03
(11285.2 - 11292.56)
I think we all know that for companies and AI is important true for you know, customs documentation requirements,
SPEAKER_03
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classification. We have done some work on that already how AI can help with HS classification of products In HS and for governmental history, it's also quite important. So overall the question is whether we could work on integrating some indicators in the index about AI use. And I think in general AI is an automation because we work with private sector and large companies and in the context of certificates of origin, what I can say that when we talk about digitalization, the main answer we get is it's not really about digitalization. Digitalization is a tool. I think it's been also echoed in earlier presentation to help us. But we care about certainty and automation and I think that. So this could be complement to the index to look at how. Yeah, how automation and AI can help. And
SPEAKER_03
(11356.37 - 11367.01)
also I think in the survey there's like you have these enablers, the regulations you suggested to integrate
SPEAKER_03
(11369.1 - 11431.3)
the trade agreements provisions. I think that's very important, not only trade agreements and we look also at digital economy agreements becoming important and I think most of those provisions are critical for. So I will not focus on trade agreements and I would also consider having different sections because it seems to me that if we open up, we broaden the framework having all the enablers, I think it's important because they are really relevant. But then at some point we may lose the focus. So a suggestion would be to have index on the enablers and so what are the enablers that are in place? What are the trade facilitation measures that are in place and if possible also look at awareness and implementation because I think that's. But that might be for the future, not the next, the next survey. But I think that should be, that should be.
SPEAKER_03
(11435.06 - 11439.94)
So yeah, so I'll think I'll just go to the next slide
SPEAKER_03
(11441.46 - 11508.58)
which is very generic, so I'll also skip. But in general, I also think that important is to look at digitalization, as I mentioned, as a tool and keeping in mind that the key objective is straight facilitation means simplification of all these procedures. So sometimes digitalization helps, but sometimes we should not lose the focus on the fact that we could simplify these documents because having a document from paper to electronic version might be. Is good, but if we could eliminate the documents that would be even better. And that's specifically the case. Well, you know, my expertise is in origin certifications and in origin certification it could in many cases eliminate those documents. So I think that's also something that could be integrated in a survey like about asking what is the best practice, what is the most facilitating? Not just is digital resolution helping? Because I think anyone would answer yes is helping. But is this really Just a solution or should we look beyond. Beyond that? So that's.
SPEAKER_19
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This did tr.
SPEAKER_03
(11510.1 - 11510.66)
Thank you.
SPEAKER_04
(11511.14 - 11517.46)
Great. Thank you. Thank you very much. Pamela and I fully agree. I mean it doesn't make much sense just to
SPEAKER_04
(11519.22 - 11542.79)
digitalize a document that is either not useful or that is replicating other documents that's already in place. So simplification process and business process analysis is something that is extremely important in this context and maybe something we would have to ask about as well. If countries are doing this in the context of what they're doing,
SPEAKER_04
(11544.55 - 11605.35)
the sampling question I think is relevant. And this issue about self assessment, I mean it's clear that there is a long step from what has been self assessed in the WTO to what actually happens in countries. I mean, I think both World bank and. And we have tools where countries themselves can work on this and we see very different results from what they are actually implementing in reality. Good. We will. I have to now excuse, but I think we need to run over time or also for those that are behind the screens, that's in your office. So probably another 15 minutes we will discuss if you have time, stay with us. Those that are in the room, I will lock the door so they will disappear. But then I will hurry to hand over to my good friend and mentor Dr. Saif from UN next to make an intervention.
SPEAKER_02
(11608.46 - 11652.16)
No, thank you for this wonderful opportunity. I'm happy that through this invitation I could be in the company of the fans and colleague and talking about a subject which has been. Why did I say Heartbeat of my professional journey over the decades. Straight to the presentation. Wonderful presentation. I will not comment much, but it's very incredibly timely. These 15 measures which you have selected and thoughtfully I think split into cross borders and plus three and three. This and your presentation and different graphs. I would say there is a story beyond the numbers when I see that
SPEAKER_02
(11654.32 - 11660.23)
global average is around 62% but there is significant variations
SPEAKER_02
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amongst different region and within the regions also
SPEAKER_02
(11667.59 - 11685.91)
at the same time, and especially for those who are probably in more need like LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS and interestingly enough that all regions without any exceptions are moving forward. So they are making progress. So this paradox to me.
SPEAKER_04
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Asks for.
SPEAKER_02
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A deeper question and the deeper question is
SPEAKER_02
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which led me to think about digital infrastructure that is this because of the digital infrastructure that in certain countries there is even not availability of electricity at the bottom points or something. There is not enough telephone density, there's not enough maybe broadband and broadband Internet where you can capture. So can we think about these essentials which are thesis for the digitalization. So that will be one thing to discuss because it will not only tell us that this is the difference, but probably may also educate us that why so much difference. This I would say the digital infrastructure brings me to my second thought that is about the digital culture. When I say the digital culture. The trade digitalization in any country can be as good as the digitalization is overall in that country. We know there is a difference, even difference within the government agencies. Customs has always been leading and you are also showed that the automated custom system is there. But how far the other spheres of life and public services are digitalized that will have definitely a direct bearing as well as correlation with the digitalization of the grid. Let's picture two scenarios in the context of E payment for international
SPEAKER_02
(11787.82 - 11800.31)
There is one country where the total banking system paper based and requires vet signature and there is another country where
SPEAKER_02
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there is domestic banking thriving digital.
SPEAKER_02
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So the former if there is absence of the E payment for international trade so the farmer is I think the foundational problem because there is no that culture or infrastructure. In the second, if domestically you are thriving but you are not using it for the international payments then I think either it is a misplaced priority as the missed opportunities. So we need to go and that
SPEAKER_02
(11833.86 - 11854.74)
I'm still in the I would say hangover of the previous session where we were talking about more about the sustainability and I want to discuss a bit about the intersection of technology and the sustainability in the context of the career facilitation. To me the technology has definitely a dual role.
SPEAKER_02
(11856.34 - 11974.86)
On the one hand it streamlines procedures operations help business to reach global customers breaking down barriers, toolkits like digital platform platforms like supply chains, blockchains, whatever we can talk they cut time, lower cost, perfect recipe for trade facilitation. But on the other hand they are also creating some unintended environmental effects. I think to capture there let me highlight a few. If we are using and which we must be using the digitalization and the measuring also the systemic facilitation. And I see from the angle of the E commerce the information and even my the payment and everything is moving digitally in bytes. But the goods which you are ordering is always has to physically cross the geographical borders. So one you are having ramped up transports, you see trucks and the motors on the roads and everybody is trying to reach to the customers. Because you have said on your website that there is going to be delivery within the 72 hours. So you are switching from a relatively greener sea routs to the air fleets and covering to it. And also the kind of parcels which we are using, it is creating mountains, the paper waste and all those plastic waste that is definitely having a tool on the environment. And when we are talking about the sustainable facilitation, we need to keep that in mind. And now I want to come and. Thanks Pamela. You foreshadowed what I wanted to say and that is I want to talk about this big, big elephant of the AI in the room.
SPEAKER_02
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Definitely the use of AI is increasing,
SPEAKER_02
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trade processes is increasing.
SPEAKER_02
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But at the same times all those data centers
SPEAKER_02
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which are training the modules and training all these procedures are so energy intensive. I'm sure you will be as concerned as I was when I was doing a bit of research
SPEAKER_02
(12002.71 - 12005.35)
going through your presentation that the
SPEAKER_02
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contribution of this AI or the clean gas emissions is almost already surpassed the entire global aviation industry. This requirement is going to multiply four times at least in next five years, which means that it might overtake and likelihood. This is how the predictions are. So it's likely to overtake even the shipping industry, even the steel industry. So this is a quantum of impact of the sustainability which we are trying to mirror in the context of trade facilitation that how the state might also be contributing towards that. Now I imagine those countries who are trying that whenever they are trying to do all these kind of things, they are trying to incentivize the E vehicles, they are trying to incentivize that there should be packaging, should be biodegradable, there should be recirculation of the used and the manufacturing goods. The AI data center should be fueled to the alternate fuels which are not emission gases. So maybe something we can think it's some maturity model, some ecosystem maturity which we can factor into to see. And those countries who are practicing like tight their eco friendly digital eruption with the trade facilitation or trade policy forms. I think those roles to be not only acknowledged, appreciated, but replicated so that whatever we are trying to achieve through the increased trade should also be
SPEAKER_02
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and sustainable overall system. So all these things I think we need to discuss further. I'm not saying we must take it, how to capture it, what to capture. Those are the things and, and these are the things which we cannot kind of a breakup call which we can snooze off. No, we have to attend to it, how to attend to it. And I think you have taken a very obviously innovative step that let's try to measure this digitalization index. If at the same time we can also that whatever this state digitalization is trying to Unintended effect, whether there are certain policies and are there certain policy options and there are certain. Definitely the green transit corridor and all those kind of things which could factor into our survey to make more, I would say robust. I'll stop here. Thank you very much.
SPEAKER_04
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Thank you very much. Dr. Said. So I think you opened my eyes to the fact maybe we are almost maybe substituting the traditional sustainability issue with the new issue that maybe is just as bad
SPEAKER_04
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in a different way.
SPEAKER_02
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Yeah.
SPEAKER_04
(12185.08 - 12191.96)
So this is definitely something we have to have in mind and look at. So thank you for raising this.
SPEAKER_04
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We move on swiftly.
SPEAKER_04
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So I would like to ask Maria Teresa Pisani from UNEC UNCFACT to come in here. You have a lot of standards already, a lot of digitalization tools already. So maybe in another five minutes you could make your intervention.
SPEAKER_03
(12216.49 - 12220.73)
Thank you very much. Paul and I will be even shorter than five minutes.
SPEAKER_04
(12221.29 - 12222.01)
Oh wow.
SPEAKER_04
(12226.65 - 12227.45)
I'm sorry.
SPEAKER_03
(12229.45 - 12273.63)
Yeah, I've given a long presentation before also mentioning about older instruments that impact level of support of digital and sustainable trade facilitation. So no need to go long here. So just perhaps re emphasizing the few points that have been shared by other panelists. I think the tdi, which is a very important instrument, actually support of countries in the identification of gaps, what needs to be improved, how to direct legal assistance and capacity building. Very important that it goes beyond.
SPEAKER_02
(12276.43 - 12276.83)
And.
SPEAKER_03
(12276.91 - 12339.97)
It should actually look from our perspective a bit deeper into performance, actual performance, actual uptake of measures and constraints. We have seen that there is very good progress at the level of the institutional policy, regulatory frameworks, important to look at actual enforcement action uptake and on the basis of international standards. We have heard from other panelists that the multimodal trade and transport dimension, the interoperability aspects, deharmonization aspects are really key. It's something the private sector are actively looking into and are demanding. Supply chain value chains are global. So this dimension of cross border alignment
SPEAKER_03
(12341.49 - 12353.73)
and harmonization is very important. That's why reference to international standards for documentary exchange, for data exchange, the bill of lendings invoices,
SPEAKER_03
(12355.73 - 12403.84)
ECMR or other type of report, key documents and certificates, all these should be based on international standards. So whether you know, for future development of the TDIs, the actual implementation uptake on the basis of international instruments and standards to enable interoperability, to overcome fragmentation, to cover the multimodal. So trade and transport dimension is there in our review and during CFAT provides some of these important instruments together with other key international players, the wco, the ICC and others.
SPEAKER_03
(12405.68 - 12410.32)
That is in what I needed to emphasize on our side.
SPEAKER_04
(12412.08 - 12445.35)
Very efficient. Thank you very much. And I think this focus also on trade and transport because when we talk about trade facilitation, we all tend to forget that sometimes the transport aspect and you can facilitate as many customs declarations you want, you can facilitate so many other things, but if you don't have a truck certificate on the border, then you don't get anywhere. So we have, we have to include all of these elements in a holistic approach. So thank you very much for
SPEAKER_04
(12447.36 - 12470.32)
last but not least. And that kind of like squares the circle where maybe we go to Jesse Nickel from wto. And now you have heard all of these clever people in the room here. We have a WTO trade facilitation agreement. So what is your view on this?
SPEAKER_07
(12470.96 - 12472.04)
Well, I'm happy to say.
SPEAKER_03
(12472.04 - 12472.56)
Anyone?
SPEAKER_20
(12472.44 - 12472.57)
Let.
SPEAKER_04
(12472.56 - 12481.45)
Yeah, maybe come, come up here so we can hear you as well and see maybe exactly just as important.
SPEAKER_04
(12483.13 - 12497.69)
And, and just for those that are listening, we will take Jesse's intervention and then Jan will have a chance to wrap up just for a couple of minutes and then we are over for today. And thank you for being patient with us.
SPEAKER_04
(12500.82 - 12502.02)
Jesse, the floor is yours.
SPEAKER_07
(12502.02 - 12533.02)
Oh, well, thank you, Paul. And really, I think given the timing here, I'm not going to take more than a couple minutes and maybe I can just focus on one aspect and really sort of drill down into this difference between paperless trade and cross border exchanges. Cross border, paperless trade. Because you know, it really seems to me that if we think about a sort of legal framework consisting of both hard law and soft law,
SPEAKER_07
(12534.62 - 12589.1)
we're pretty good on paperless trade. Yes, there's, there's still improvements to be made in terms of those frameworks. But just, you know, looking around the room, let's talk about single window, for instance, and everybody who in this room contributes to that. We have, um, CFACT recommendations. You know, we have the TFA agreement, we have the E Commerce Agreement, which has a provision on single window interoperability. We have all the work that World bank and UNCTAD does and UNCTAN through ASYCUDA or through your roadmap on how to develop a single window. So you know, when it comes down to looking at the, some of the paperless trade provisions, there's a fairly good foundation. I guess my question is, do we have a similar foundation in the context of
SPEAKER_07
(12592.06 - 12647.38)
cross border exchange? And here I'd mentioned the CPTA agreement that obviously is a good effort at trying to establish some of those rules. So what are the reasons for that? Now a lot of people have been talking about the challenges and in fact the TFA facility, they were looking at issues of interoperability and data exchan exchange in Latin America and they, I was looking at this report this morning and all of the variables that have been discussed in this room are evident, right? There's questions of infrastructure, there's questions of, you know, intergovernmental coordination, there's interoperability, there's confidentiality. How do you deal with issues of data use and protection, there's aligning practices with business needs. So there's a lot of challenges, particularly in that space on cross border
SPEAKER_07
(12648.98 - 12658.98)
exchanges. But then I have this now additional concern that Jan's data introduced, which is this question of whether
SPEAKER_07
(12661.38 - 12803.43)
you know, that there's a lower impact, potentially a lower impact on trade from some of these cross border threats. So, so the question is, I guess, you know, sort of how do you make the case for it? And part of it is you can't make a case unless there's a foundation, unless you have a good case to make. So maybe two elements that relate to the TDI work. I mean, one is I very much appreciate those two first variables on cross border, on cross border paperless that really go to the laws and regulations because I think in the absence of multiple multilateral rules, notwithstanding efforts in CPTA and elsewhere, it may be from national frameworks that we start to get those ideas, that we start to see some convergence. So I'm very happy those variables are, I'm very interested in looking at them. And I liked the cautionary word that we heard earlier about don't discount the regulatory framework, the private sector, because sometimes the private sector views that as long term and we want to, you know, they may be more focused on shorter term objectives. Legal framework is very important and it may be we need to start by looking at national projects and seeing where that convergence can come from. Secondly, I think individual case studies, examples, if that can be included. I know in the, in the UN Global survey there's this page that has a number of examples. And I think if you want to make the case for cross border paperless trade, it has to be evident that there are those benefits, that they can be achieved and that those benefits will result. And you know, there's a number, interestingly in the committee's, in the WTO committee's experience, we've heard a lot of those cases in the transit area. So we've heard about Togo talking about its CIGNAT system. Mozambique has been working on single window interoperability and digitalizing some of the certificates and dealing with the border questions we had Laos last year the Lao Republic referred to its use of the ASEAN
SPEAKER_07
(12805.19 - 12830.31)
customs transit system. So my suggestion would be together with this data that we're and looking at some of these indicators of what the impact may be on trade. It'd be very nice to kind of supplement that and shall I say triangulate with actual examples that we can pull from national experiences.
SPEAKER_07
(12831.9 - 12832.54)
So that's it.
SPEAKER_07
(12834.22 - 12835.34)
Did I go less than.
SPEAKER_04
(12837.58 - 12846.62)
No. Thank you very much Jesse. Thank you for that valuable input as well and and I will not try to sum up this. I will leave that to Jan.
SPEAKER_05
(12847.98 - 12849.1)
I can do one minute.
SPEAKER_04
(12849.1 - 12850.54)
Yeah one minute sum up.
SPEAKER_05
(12851.02 - 12915.13)
Yeah I mean so first big thank you because I think it was very useful at least for you know and we have to start developing the tdi. I mean it's. We get very different perspective more technical ones. Right. I appreciate a lot I mean less. More broader one like more cultural what digital culture which I think is actually relevant and I'm thinking that we should probably look at the innovation index there is of what is this organization wipo we just issued I think wipo I'll tell you what it was they just issued a innovation so actually this could be a good measure but so I heard about data standardization several times right. Both WCO and unic I'm not surprised but cyber security I think they're important I heard them in real time. This is batch type digitalization I mean I think it's relevant AI hopefully we're actually going to do a joint something together right. On the AI together so I support the AI extension of the self ADB already then
SPEAKER_05
(12917.61 - 12924.65)
I mean environmental aspect I think important. I have a lot of things to say on this because I think there is a bit of misunderstanding also on the type of AI.
SPEAKER_06
(12924.65 - 12924.97)
Right.
SPEAKER_05
(12925.13 - 12986.35)
Generative AI is one type of AI. There's a lot of other AI that are not energy intensive Right. But people completely misunderstand some of that but. But yes that's good so that's all I mean I'm just giving keywords of some of the things I, I think are used we can take on board and then one very specific recommendation on E Custom refunds not important so maybe we can get rid of that one we'll see on the last point on the cross border paper Australia I appreciate the. All the. All the comments. Yes the index is one side of things but yes we need to accumulate a lot of case studies and best practice good practices et cetera and so one thing you may not be aware of is that we have developed what's called the cbpt, the Cross Border Paperless Trade Database which is a cooperation between ESCAP and icc International Chamber of Commerce, DSI and that database, it's database of all the
SPEAKER_05
(12988.0 - 13046.67)
projects pilot or live or already dead projects on cross border Paperless Trade implementation. So it's, it's not comprehensive because it's super difficult to get to get those cases. But we have maybe 100 different projects there so very concrete in a way. And in fact we've been discussing with WTO Emmanuel because we did the toolkit together right also to do whether WTF could become a partner on this cross border paper history database. And so in fact we would be very happy if this would happen. But I understand, you know wto, tfa, anything related to WTFA can get politically sensitive. So because of this we haven't made too much progress. But I think you may want to take a look at this and we are happy to get some feedback. So thank you again also to the participants because we got a lot of very good attentive participants participant who gave a lot of questions and feedback. So this is very much appreciated.
SPEAKER_04
(13046.67 - 13066.35)
Thank you. Thank you very much. Thanks to all the participants, the speakers and thank you to all those that have joined us virtually. I think Sien said a lot of good input from that side. The presentations will be made available on both UNSCAP and ontad
SPEAKER_04
(13068.29 - 13081.09)
website on on the event site. There will be no certificate issue for this because when we issue certificates we also do a test and we didn't do a test today so no certificates.
SPEAKER_04
(13082.69 - 13131.39)
We will inform in the chat where you can find the presentations and the information and I am aware that we have not answered all questions that were in the chat and the Q and A. Some were maybe repetition, some were a little bit beyond the discussion today and frankly some of them I don't think we could answer but very interesting questions nonetheless. So I'm sure we will be able to continue these discussions. I look forward to see the next TDI and I hope you do as well. And please in the meantime if you have suggestions don't hesitate to let us know. So thank you very much for today. Have a good continued day, a good evening, a good morning and yeah, thank you.
Save Transcript
Regenerate AI Summary
SPEAKER_01
Summary Sentence
Supporting Quotes
It.
It.
Highlighted the progress made globally in areas like agriculture, trade facilitation, trade facilitation for women, SMEs, and environmental sustainability.
I think one key takeaway that we can get from the survey is that indeed we see a lot of good progress globally across all these areas, which is great.
And agriculture, trade facilitation, trade facilitation for women, for SMEs and also this new aspects around trade facilitation and environmental sustainability.
Emphasized the need to understand how to close the gap between regulatory frameworks and practical implementation.
is that we need to know more about how we close this gap between what do we say in terms of the regulatory framework, how we actually implement it in practice.
Highlighted progress in regulatory frameworks but noted the need for deeper understanding of practical implementation.
Also I think we see a lot of good progress in terms of putting those regulatory frameworks in place.
But we know much less in terms of how that works in practice. So I think we need to do much more there.
Discussed trade facilitation and environmental sustainability, emphasizing the complexities involved, particularly with the Citus example.
But one of the areas that we've started to work on also increasingly is trade facilitation and environmental sustainability.
And it is challenging and I think we can see it again just with the Citus example, just, you know, one area, one document how Hard it is how much legal frame or regulations need to have behind that data exchange.
Shared learnings from OECD work on SPS electronic certification and a Trade and Gender Review of Latin America, pointing out the challenge of assessing the practical impact of gender-focused trade facilitation policies.
So for instance, in terms of the SPS electronic certification, we've tried to compile data on what OECD countries are doing and exactly with whom they're exchanging these types of certificates on which products.
Another piece of work that we carried out recently was the Trade and Gender Review of Latin America, which doesn't focus exclusively on trade facilitation, but really on how these gender perspectives are taking into account more broadly into trade policy policymaking.
But here again what we see less is that the less of an assessment of what that actually means in practice, of how many women are covered, how many women led businesses manage to export or to trade much more easily through these kind of programs.
Described ongoing work to apply a trade facilitation lens to a product's environmental life cycle, covering production, usage, and end-of-life stages, and the challenges in areas like waste classification and risk management.
So what we are currently doing in this work is really in progress and it would be great to stay in touch and understand discuss as this evolves because this find is very complex.
So we actually what we are trying to do now is to sort of trade a trade facilitation lens to a product's environmental life cycle.
Customs has a lot of challenge with what is waste.
Mentioned the aim to assess the share of trade facilitation efforts related to environmental sustainability issues.
applying this lens basically what is the share of trade facilitation efforts that are destined towards some of these aspects.
Thanked Paul and Jan, expressed admiration for the TDI, and presented OECD's work, particularly a paper titled 'Going Paperless Today, Going Paperless Tomorrow.'
Thank you. Thank you so much, Paul. And thank you so much, Jan, for, you know, walking us through the great tdi. I'm a big fan.
And since we're fans of moving goods and not paper, we've titled this Going Paperless Today, Going Paperless Tomorrow.
Focused on enabling regulation, frameworks for electronic transactions, border digitalization, and cross-border data exchange.
And I think the pillar that is most related to also the issues, different issues that we're discussing here is the one that focuses on the adoption of the enabling regulation.
So what needs to happen not just at the border, but also behind the border and beyond the border, we look at issues that have to do with frameworks for conducting transactions electronically.
Then of course, we have the part at the border and then here again, drawing on the work that we have been doing on the trade facilitation indicators, we can point to also to the different elements that matter for digitalizing that the border.
And last but not least, something that particularly my colleague Javier has been looking quite a lot at recently is the cross border exchange of data.
Suggested potential synergies between OECD's work and the TDI, particularly in areas like document aspects and implementation practices.
I think you have a lot of issues in the TDI that we unfortunately did not capture so far. And I think that mostly relate to the different documents aspects which are really important.
One aspect that we've been grappling with, and I was already alluding to this this in the last session, is how we can gather more information on the implementation and practice on this issue.
Highlighted the importance of capturing issues related to cross-border data exchange and barriers to non-personal data flows.
So indeed we have already some of the aspects that we're covering through the trade facilitation indicator in terms of these mechanisms of exchange, some of the barriers through the digital services trade restrictiveness index but there's probably much more that we're still missing.
So there's a lot it has to do with data security, it's a lot with regulatory compliance, market access issues also Sustainability and here again that links to some of these new regulatory upcoming legislation and so on and also private sector data sharing and reuse.
SPEAKER_02
Summary Sentence
Supporting Quotes
Asked if participants were in the meeting and confirmed the start.
Are they already in the meeting?
Okay, so we can start.
Agreed with points made by other speakers.
Right.
Prompted to go to the next slide.
Next one please.
Inquired about the duration of his presentation and expressed surprise at the accuracy of the timing.
How did I do?
Wow.
Expressed thanks.
Thank you again.
Made brief interjections, 'Will' and 'Right'.
Will.
Right.
Expressed agreement and understanding with "Right" and "So."
Right.
So.
Confirmed audibility and acknowledged electronic declarations.
Properly from here online.
Electronic.
Indicated a potential release of data, possibly from this year or last year, depending on the discussion's outcome, aiming for the most up-to-date information.
Then we might release it with the data of this year or last year depends on the outcome of the discussion.
So we try to have it have the latest data as possible available but some members need more time to aggregate such kind of data.
Mentioned close collaboration with all WCO departments, acting as a focal point for data models and providing recommendations for KPIs to measure the success of instrumental tools.
And also we are working very close with all departments of the wco.
All of them have focal points.
So for example data model, I'm the focal point and we give recommendations what could be good KPI to measure the implementation of the success of our instrumental tools.
Suggested potential synergies due to similar goals and instruments.
We might find some way for synergies as we are very.
As we have similar goals.
The same goals I would say and very similar instrument as you can see.
Emphasized the importance of preparation, diagnostics, and baselines for digitalization projects.
But preparation is key for digitalization.
And in the World bank we do a lot of work around digitalization, trade facilitation agreement, single window, little systems, business systems, all sorts of systems, you know, from trade, but also in many other thematic areas, finance and you know, all sorts of stuff, transport, roads, etc.
what is called common, I think in any digitalization project is really that preparation and diagnostic and baseline
Stressed the need for adherence to global standards like the WCO data model and UN/CEFACT standards.
looking at opening your digitalization through global standards.
The WCO data model is critical.
The UNEC standards are absolutely critical.
Highlighted the importance of a whole-of-government approach, involving all relevant ministries, and the need to consider uptake and usage of digital systems, not just their existence.
And then connecting it at the country level through the national trade facilitation committees. So you have that whole government approach is not about customs in your government.
And one of the things that we saw during COVID was the emergence of ministries that were just not visible before, particularly Ministry Health.
digitalization is fine, but if no one's using it, it's not fine. And so what's the uptake?
Discussed the importance of baseline data, tracking usage of digitized documents, and ensuring digitalization of processes without creating additional burdens.
So baseline's key track use over time I think is key.
what's the use of and percentage of each of those documents that have been digitalized.
you have to be very sure that you have implemented a digitalization of the process without the pain.
Emphasized the need for inter-agency integration, workflow quality, and considering the perspectives of government agencies, the private sector, and policy regarding privacy.
I measure the agency integration and workflow quality.
does it kind of work for the government agency?
Does it work for the private sector?
Highlighted the Trade Facilitation Agreement from Jesse and its implementation status, suggesting triangulation of data for effective capacity building.
the trade facilitation agreement from Jesse is far from fully implemented.
try and find a way to triangulate that data to get the right capacity building support program in place.
Shared examples of sequencing activities and reform programs, such as the work in Fiji to automate manifest and improve clearance times.
Fiji I like to talk about, I come from the Pacific islands is as we saw, one of the lowest regions, 30% implementation for digitalization.
we helped Fiji, you know, automate their, their manatees and improved, you know, significantly the time for clearance of food and sps and plant products particularly because they weren't seeing what there was to see before they could automate the manifest.
Mentioned the upcoming single window online training course with a module on cybersecurity.
you'll see in the upcoming active single window online training course that Jan and I are developing.
These are a nice module around cybersecurity
Recommended incorporating cybersecurity into the index for measurement and capacity building.
look at recommendations for the index. One would be cybersecurity security and put something in there about that so we can measure it over time and see where the gaps might be.
And that can really drive the capacity building.
Suggested using the Trade Facilitation Agreement framework for triangulation and leveraging the National Trade Facilitation Committee for detailed reporting.
use the trade Facilitation Agreement framework as a way to triangulate what you're getting from your survey and your survey and what you're doing with Geneva.
maybe through the committee you can ask for more detailed reporting about certain measures that can then feed back to everybody else because you have the people in the room
Pointed out the need to address constraints faced by women-owned firms in trade, such as access to information and participation in committees.
four Common issues that we've seen come out of that instrument, which we've run in about 15 countries, is women traders have less access to information, less access to benefits like the AEO program or the AO program under the pfa, less opportunity to participate in the national trade facilitation committees
Suggested weighting real-time measures higher than others and differentiating between low-risk and high-risk data sharing.
maybe weight the real time measures higher than those like I mentioned before, electronic, you know, application or repos, not that important.
data, you need to look at what's low risk and what's high risk.
Mentioned the B-Ready initiative and its digitization component.
The B ready is now?
It's going to have digitization around it as well as many other things.
Commended the presentation as timely and insightful, particularly the 15 measures selected.
Wonderful presentation.
I will not comment much, but it's very incredibly timely.
These 15 measures which you have selected and thoughtfully I think split into cross borders and plus three and three.
Noted significant regional variations in global average scores and progress across all regions, posing a question about the underlying reasons.
global average is around 62% but there is significant variations
amongst different region and within the regions also
at the same time, and especially for those who are probably in more need like LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS and interestingly enough that all regions without any exceptions are moving forward.
Suggested exploring the role of digital infrastructure (electricity, telephone density, broadband) and digital culture in explaining these differences.
which led me to think about digital infrastructure that is this because of the digital infrastructure that in certain countries there is even not availability of electricity at the bottom points or something.
There is not enough telephone density, there's not enough maybe broadband and broadband Internet where you can capture.
This I would say the digital infrastructure brings me to my second thought that is about the digital culture.
Discussed the dual role of technology in trade facilitation, highlighting both its benefits (streamlining, cost reduction) and unintended environmental effects (increased transport, waste).
To me the technology has definitely a dual role.
On the one hand it streamlines procedures operations help business to reach global customers breaking down barriers, toolkits like digital platform platforms like supply chains, blockchains, whatever we can talk they cut time, lower cost, perfect recipe for trade facilitation.
But on the other hand they are also creating some unintended environmental effects.
Raised concerns about the energy intensity of AI data centers and their potential impact on emissions, suggesting the need for a maturity model to factor in eco-friendly digital practices.
But at the same times all those data centers
which are training the modules and training all these procedures are so energy intensive.
I'm sure you will be as concerned as I was when I was doing a bit of research
going through your presentation that the
contribution of this AI or the clean gas emissions is almost already surpassed the entire global aviation industry.
Emphasized the importance of addressing the unintended effects of trade digitalization and considering policy options like green transit corridors to make the survey more robust.
If at the same time we can also that whatever this state digitalization is trying to Unintended effect, whether there are certain policies and are there certain policy options and there are certain.
Definitely the green transit corridor and all those kind of things which could factor into our survey to make more, I would say robust.
SPEAKER_03
Summary Sentence
Supporting Quotes
Confirmed they could hear and noted the number of participants.
Can you hear us?
Yes, now we can.
So we have 216 participants already.
Presented the performance on sustainability trade facilitation for the UNEC region, highlighting its diversity and the increase in the overall implementation rate from 79% to 82%.
my presentation is going to be about the performance on sustainability trade facilitation for the UNEC region, the region of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe.
It's a diverse region because with 56 member states, our region includes advanced economies.
Very important what the survey shows is that the overall implementation rate in the region has increased between 2023 and 2025 from 79% to 82%
Noted a significant increase in cross-border paperless trade due to policies, strategies, and regulations.
And notably we have a very interesting increase on the performance for cross border paperless trade.
The increase in the implementation of measures surveyed is 6%. And this is certainly thanks to increasing attention to the adoption of supporting strategies, policies, regulations, but also implementation and application of implementation standards.
Discussed the performance on sustainability dimensions, noting that sustainable trade facilitation measures have the lowest implementation rates.
Now if we move to the performance on the sustainability dimension
And here we see that the sustainable trade facilitation measures have some of the lowest implementation rates, something that reflect the global trend.
Provided detailed performance data on agricultural trade facilitation, trade facilitation for SMEs, women, and green trade facilitation, mentioning specific countries and regions with notable progress.
Yes, and here we can see that agricultural trade facilitation which the highest implementation rate among the Sustainable trade facilitation measures very interesting within the region, the performance of the Russian Federation of the European Union plus four with the plus four, including Canada, Sweden,
Switzerland and the UK and the performance of Caucasus and the Turquoia which is above 90% and above. While Eastern Europe, including Moldova and Belarus, there is progress made there. The percentage is 42% only when we go to the trade facilitation for SMEs.
for trade facilitation and women and green trade facilitation, as we have seen also at the global level, also for the UNEC region these are the least implemented measures only 44% and 29% implementation rates respectively.
Highlighted the importance of understanding and complying with environmental social governance standards for trade with the European Union.
In this regulation there is a strong emphasis on compliance with environmental social governance standards.
So the understanding of these standards, the capacity to comply with these standards for training partners of jurisdictions that adopt this kind of regulation and legislation is going to be very foreign. So certainly the green trade facilitation dimension will be increasingly in focus
Presented examples of specific measures for the sustainability pillar from the UNEC report, including initiatives in Azerbaijan, Moldova, and Tajikistan.
interesting the case of Azerbaijan, for instance, that established has established a commission on business, environment and international rankings with regular training undertaken for women entrepreneurs or the Republic of Moldova, for instance, has put in place Women's Economic Empowerment ROSLA that was adopted in 2023
The example of Tajikistan, for instance, with an export support program launched in July 2025 specifically targeting SMEs.
Highlighted the importance of compliance with the Basel Convention and mentioned the most and least implemented measures for trade facilitation.
compliance with the Basel Convention very important basic convention that provides this global legal framework and efforts to countries to put in place specific legislation to enforce the requirements of the Convention
the UNEC report will provide an overview of the most and least implemented measures for all trade facilitation measures categories.
Introduced UNEC UNCFACT supporting instruments and a new policy recommendation on traceability and transparency of compliance with ESG requirements.
UNEC UNCPACT has developed something like 49 positive recommendations and about 950e business standards policy recommendations include those on single window implementation.
But just now we have passed a new policy recommendation on traceability and transparency of compliance with ESG requirements along value chains, textile, critical raw materials, other food that are going to prove very important to support countries in implementing the TFA type of measures
Concluded with key messages on the implementation rates of trade facilitation measures and an invitation to the UN CFACT Core Forum.
social facilitation for SMEs and agricultural trade facilitation has experienced a good increase in implementation rates while trade facilitation on women continues to lag behind.
And finally an invitation to the UN CFACT Forum if you move to the next slide please the 44th UN CFACT Core Forum bringing together our global community of experts advancing on the development of policy recommendations and standards in support of implementation of many of the measures in the survey taking place on 242820 November in Dakar, Senegal.
Thanked the organizers for the invitation and acknowledged the rich material presented.
Thank you for the invitation and it's.
I think we already have a lot.
Struggled to collect information.
Been struggling to collect information.
Expressed gratitude.
Thank you so much.
Suggested reporting data by stakeholder type (government vs. private sector) due to potential inconsistencies.
I was actually curious to know if you can also report data by stakeholders because I suppose that you have, you know, I don't know how you're sampling the companies or if you're just looking at business associations and how these are the answers will be consistent with the
authority side and you know, lumping them together might be a little bit tricky.
Questioned the sampling method of private sector representatives and how their answers are matched with government officials.
Because I just read the methodology and it is mentioned like even in the questionnaire you can select private sector representatives so that was my question who are those private sector representative answering the survey and how do you match their answers with the government official center?
Raised concerns about ensuring survey comparability over the years.
Well consistency across here has been mentioned already how we ensure that you know the survey is comparable over the years that's a question I have
Suggested cross-checking data with WTO self-assessments to identify discrepancies between declared and actual implementation.
I think would be very interesting to also cross check the data with the self assessment if you think of you know dimension Cambodia has notified like full implementation of fake facilitation agreements this this year But I think in practice it's not really the case and which countries have bigger discrepancies between the notification, the
implementation or the declared implementation and your surveys I think that be quite interesting
Questioned how contradictory answers from different stakeholders are treated.
That is a question do you have contradictory answers like if you have the private. I don't know exactly from the private sector but and also from the government and how do you treat these kind of cases?
Expressed concern that treating 'don't know' answers as 'not implemented' might underestimate the problem and mix up awareness with implementation.
That's just the question I have now on the treatment of answers when people don't know I understand that you consider that zero as not implemented and there I have a. I mean I'm wondering if this could underestimate the problem but also if we are mixing up, you know the messages here because I think a lack of awareness is not necessarily a lack of implementation and it also has very different policy implications because in one case not least awareness in the other implementation.
Suggested exploring the impact of treating 'don't know' answers differently.
So is it possible on that one to just be complete or at least compare what how the index will change if you were to treat those negroes in a different way.
Emphasized ADB's support for digitalization and trade facilitation, particularly AI.
I think I just saw a fair amount talk in general about the fact that first ADB is really supportive of digitalization and trade facilitation so of course digital facilitation is really important and one areas that we are interest interested in deepening is health development technology especially AI in the context of facilitation
Suggested integrating indicators about AI use in the index, focusing on automation and certainty.
So overall the question is whether we could work on integrating some indicators in the index about AI use.
But we care about certainty and automation and I think that.
Recommended including digital economy agreement provisions.
I think that's very important, not only trade agreements and we look also at digital economy agreements becoming important and I think most of those provisions are critical for.
Proposed having separate indices for enablers and trade facilitation measures.
So a suggestion would be to have index on the enablers and so what are the enablers that are in place? What are the trade facilitation measures that are in place and if possible also look at awareness and implementation because I think that's.
Highlighted the importance of simplification of procedures, suggesting the survey should ask about best practices and whether digitalization is the only solution.
But in general, I also think that important is to look at digitalization, as I mentioned, as a tool and keeping in mind that the key objective is straight facilitation means simplification of all these procedures.
So I think that's also something that could be integrated in a survey like about asking what is the best practice, what is the most facilitating? Not just is digital resolution helping? Because I think anyone would answer yes is helping. But is this really Just a solution or should we look beyond. Beyond that?
Re-emphasized the importance of the TDI in identifying gaps and directing assistance, stressing the need to look deeper into actual performance and uptake of measures based on international standards.
I think the tdi, which is a very important instrument, actually support of countries in the identification of gaps, what needs to be improved, how to direct legal assistance and capacity building.
It should actually look from our perspective a bit deeper into performance, actual performance, actual uptake of measures and constraints.
Highlighted the significance of multimodal trade and transport dimensions, interoperability, and harmonization, referencing international standards for documentary and data exchange.
We have heard from other panelists that the multimodal trade and transport dimension, the interoperability aspects, deharmonization aspects are really key.
That's why reference to international standards for documentary exchange, for data exchange, the bill of lendings invoices, ECMR or other type of report, key documents and certificates, all these should be based on international standards.
SPEAKER_04
Summary Sentence
Supporting Quotes
Introduced the workshop on Sustainable Trade Facilitation and the UN Trade Digitalization Index, outlined the agenda, provided household rules (Q&A, recording), and handed over to Jan Duval.
And welcome to this these two workshops on Sustainable Trade facilitation and the UN Trade Digitalization Index.
First of all, if you have questions or comments, those that are online, please use the Q and A.
And then secondly, this session is recorded for those of you that wish to come back to it or for those of you that have colleagues that would like to see this afterwards so you can, on our website, then access the recording afterwards.
So I think without any further ado, I will hand over to Jan Duval, who will be moderating this first session on sustainable Trade facilitation.
Presented findings from a survey on trade facilitation, highlighting implementation levels of various measures, including new areas like E-commerce and green trade facilitation.
If we move to the next slide, then we will see a slide that now includes issues around trade facilitation for E commerce and green trade facilitation.
And when we are talking about green trade facilitation, specifically on waste and green goods, on for instance the e citis permits, so for endangered species, and also on sustainable reporting.
Noted that while transparency measures are well-implemented, areas like SME support, agricultural trade facilitation, and trade facilitation for women require more attention.
So I think this is very much evidence that transparency is one of those obligations that countries really are focusing on taking serious and it is of course one of those areas that is very helpful for industry.
But if we move down along then the various issues and maybe we can move down to the category trade facilitation for SMEs, trade related information measures, that very much is going hand in hand with transparency.
But I think if we look at the right hand side column on the least implemented measures and look at some of these issues for great facilitation for small and medium sized enterprises, agricultural trade facilitation and moving further down E commerce green trade facilitation here there is definitely much work to do at national level and also at multilateral level where we can together jointly focus on these issues to get these implemented.
Emphasized the need for sustainable, inclusive, and digital trade facilitation, and pointed out the weakness in cross-border systems in some regions.
But focus should know now be widened to also focus more on implementation of trade facilitation measures that are sustainable, inclusive and digital paperless trade growth is there.
But there is also clear evidence that cross border systems and cross border trade here is still quite weak.
Presented findings from a survey indicating that SMEs are not well-integrated into advanced digital systems, but have access to trade information.
Small and medium sized enterprises are not yet that well integrated in into the advanced systems.
So for instance into the digital systems.
However they have access to trade information and there is a positive trend.
Highlighted the early stage of gender responsiveness in trade facilitation, promoting Ghana's National Trade Facilitation Committee's subcommittee on gender as a good practice.
Gender responsiveness and gender inclusion in trade facilitation is still at an early stage and I want here to try and promote some of the good practices.
And one of these that we always promote is for instance in Ghana where the National Trade Facilitation Committee has a special subcommittee on gender and trade facilitation.
And I think this is a very good practice that many other countries could learn from.
Noted that agricultural trade facilitation is strong on perishable goods and SPS infrastructure, but lacks in the digital area.
Agricultural trade facilitation is very strong on the perisible goods facilitation and also on the SPS infrastructure.
But the digital part is lacking behind and that's maybe a general conclusion that there is still a lot of work to be done in the digital area.
Mentioned that e-commerce and trade facilitation are progressing, but AEO and cross-border e-commerce rules need more attention.
E commerce and trade facilitation is progressing.
There are rules here, but again AEO and cross border E commerce having specific rules and obligations and measures here are rare and need to be given further attention.
Emphasized that green trade facilitation is the least developed area and needs more focus.
And finally, green trade facilitation is by far the least developed area with low implementation, but certainly an area that should be given much more focus in the future and where we need to think much more how we can contribute both at national level and from multilateral side also to encourage more implementation in this area.
Emphasized the need to consider things from a broad point of view and asked the next speaker to speak louder.
Think we need to and again, coming.
Back to the points that previously mentioned, we need to look at this from a broad point of view.
And you speak a little bit louder because people are saying that they can't hear.
Okay.
Okay.
Expressed gratitude.
Thank you.
Commented on a potential issue with the microphone.
Something wrong.
Thanked the previous speakers.
Thank you.
Introduced the second part of the discussion on the UN Trade Digitalization Index, its potential extensions, and a way forward.
So welcome back to this second part of our discussion this afternoon.
And the second part is on the UN Trade Digitalization Index, potential extensions and a way forward.
Explained that the index builds on data from the global survey and outlined the plan for a presentation by Jan Dubal followed by a panel discussion with various experts.
Some of you may know that this index was first launched in 2024 and it really builds on much of the data that we have in the global survey.
So what we would like to do today is first of all to do a presentation done by Jan Dubal about the Trade Digitalization Index.
And then on the basis of that, we will have a panel with the participants here and a roundtable and that will include Silvia Ceresco from OECD, Christian Lemke from WCO World Customs Organization, Bill Gain from the World Bank, Mr. Mohammed Said from UN Next Advisor, Jesse Nicole from WTO, Romila Trevelli from ADB, and also Maria Teresa from UNC FAT.
Stated the objective to develop the index into a more comprehensive benchmark and tool for trade digitalization, welcoming input from participants.
So the objective is to try and see how we can further develop the Trade Facility or the Trade Digitalization Index into a more comprehensive benchmark and a tool for trace digitalization.
We also welcome you to participate behind the screen with your input.
Introduced the panelists and handed over to Jan to present the index and latest figures.
So without spending too much time Jan, I will hand over to you to present the index and to present some of the latest figure please.
Expressed a need to leave by 6 o'clock and conveyed trust in the speaker's presentation management.
I would like to be home by six o' clock so.
But I trust, I trust you
Incomplete sentence, likely a question about adding or weighting measures.
Or should.
Introduced the session, outlined the plan to discuss the Trade Digitalization Index (TDI), mentioned making presentations available online, emphasized the importance of exchanging both goods and data, invited panelists to provide reviews and ideas, and apologized for omitting Andrea Tang from the initial introduction.
Okay.
We will make the presentations available on our website. So also those that are attending here virtually can get access to the presentation. So we will follow up on that.
I think in the last session Anders mentioned that what we want to facilitate is exchange of goods, not exchange of paper. And that's of course true. What I think, listening to this, what we want to achieve is exchange of good and exchange of data. They need to follow each other. So, so this is what we have to focus on.
And I have to admit that I made an error in my introduction because we have one more panelist that is not with us in the room, but with us virtually, namely Ms. Andrea Tang from Theater. Out of sight, out of mind. Sorry, Andrea, I should have mentioned you already at the beginning, but you will have a chance, of course, also to intervene.
Acknowledged interesting work and ideas, raised the importance of considering MSMEs in trade facilitation, and suggested using NTFCs for data collection.
Thank you very much Sylvia. A lot of interesting work already and a lot of interesting ideas.
I mean many of the countries that we see in the trade Facilitation survey that maybe need to further upgrade and enhance developing countries and in many of these countries large part of the traders are MSMEs.
And I'm thinking could we use some of those structures that we have for instance in the trade facilitation agreements such as the NTFCs could we use them more efficiently to get some of this data?
Introduced Christian Lenke from the World Customs Organization.
Having said that, we turn over to the next Christian Lenke from World Customs Organization.
Confirmed Andrea's screen sharing.
Yes, there you are.
Thanked SPEAKER_08 for the contribution, emphasizing the importance of avoiding fragmentation and building on a multilateral approach.
Great. Thank you very much and thank you for that contribution.
I think one of your initial comments was to try and avoid fragmentation and I think that is really very important and building on something where we have multilateral approach.
Noted the importance of data governance for companies and then transitioned to the next speaker.
And data governance I can imagine for companies is very important.
We have 25 minutes left or so and we have five speakers left. So I will immediately go to Bill.
Acknowledged SPEAKER_02's contributions and the importance of triangulating data from various sources.
But again, what you were saying, triangulate data from various sources.
Noted the significance of cybersecurity and the issue of weighting measures in the index.
And I think the cyber security question came up out clearly also what you said.
And then this issue about real time is the weight of the various measures that we are having in here. Should it be the same?
Introduced the next speaker from the Asian Development Bank and requested them to compress their presentation due to time constraints.
Maybe we can move to one of the regional banks. So maybe I could ask Pramila Kelly from the Asian Development bank to intervene.
maybe try to compress it as much as possible.
Introduced SPEAKER_03 and thanked her for her presentation.
Okay, so the floor is yours.
Great. Thank you. Thank you very much.
Agreed with SPEAKER_03 on the importance of business process analysis and simplification, suggesting it should be included in the survey.
Pamela and I fully agree. I mean it doesn't make much sense just to
digitalize a document that is either not useful or that is replicating other documents that's already in place. So simplification process and business process analysis is something that is extremely important in this context and maybe something we would have to ask about as well. If countries are doing this in the context of what they're doing
Highlighted the relevance of sampling and self-assessment issues, noting discrepancies between WTO self-assessments and actual country implementation.
the sampling question I think is relevant.
this issue about self assessment, I mean it's clear that there is a long step from what has been self assessed in the WTO to what actually happens in countries.
Mentioned World Bank tools for country assessment.
I mean, I think both World bank and.
And we have tools where countries themselves can work on this and we see very different results from what they are actually implementing in reality.
Announced a brief extension of the meeting and introduced Dr. Saif from UN next for an intervention.
So probably another 15 minutes we will discuss if you have time, stay with us.
I will hurry to hand over to my good friend and mentor Dr. Saif from UN next to make an intervention.
Acknowledged Dr. Saif's points about the potential substitution of traditional sustainability issues with new, equally problematic issues related to technology.
So I think you opened my eyes to the fact maybe we are almost maybe substituting the traditional sustainability issue with the new issue that maybe is just as bad
in a different way.
Introduced speakers, thanked them for their contributions, and emphasized the importance of including the transport aspect in trade facilitation discussions.
So I would like to ask Maria Teresa Pisani from UNEC UNCFACT to come in here.
Very efficient. Thank you very much.
And I think this focus also on trade and transport because when we talk about trade facilitation, we all tend to forget that sometimes the transport aspect and you can facilitate as many customs declarations you want, you can facilitate so many other things, but if you don't have a truck certificate on the border, then you don't get anywhere.
Thanked participants and speakers, announced that presentations will be available on the UNSCAP and UNCTAD websites, and clarified that no certificates will be issued.
Thank you. Thank you very much. Thanks to all the participants, the speakers
The presentations will be made available on both UNSCAP and ontad website on on the event site.
There will be no certificate issue for this because when we issue certificates we also do a test and we didn't do a test today so no certificates.
Acknowledged unanswered questions in the chat, some of which were beyond the scope of the discussion.
I am aware that we have not answered all questions that were in the chat and the Q and A.
Some were maybe repetition, some were a little bit beyond the discussion today and frankly some of them I don't think we could answer but very interesting questions nonetheless.
Encouraged continued discussions and suggestions for future TDIs.
So I'm sure we will be able to continue these discussions.
I look forward to see the next TDI and I hope you do as well.
And please in the meantime if you have suggestions don't hesitate to let us know.
SPEAKER_09
Summary Sentence
Supporting Quotes
Particip.
Particip.
SPEAKER_05
Summary Sentence
Supporting Quotes
Introduced the session on Sustainable Trade Facilitation, highlighted the UN Global Survey on Digital and Sustainable Trade Facilitation, and introduced the speakers and discussants.
So this first session, I'm very happy to be here.
We are organizing those sessions because, as you may know, the UN Regional Commissions ontad collaborating on UN Global Survey on Digital and Sustainable Trade Facilitation that.
So that first session is on Sustainable Trade facilitation.
Progress made and way forward.
Mr. Anders Reinberg from the ICC International Chamber of Commerce is also director for the Global alliance for Trade Facilitation, Maria Teresa Pisani.
Jesse Nicol, who is a counselor and senior dispute settlement lawyer as well from the WTO first time we met.
Summarized the survey's coverage of sustainable trade facilitation, including measures for SMEs, agriculture, women, and green trade facilitation.
So as I'm sure I understood from the presentation, sustainable trade facilitation
in the survey covers in particular
trade facilitation measures for SMEs, trade attention measure for agriculture, trade association measures for women, and now a new
area that we just added for 2025, green trade facilitation measures.
Noted that most of these areas are less implemented than traditional trade facilitation measures.
And so it was very clear that essentially all of those areas except possibly agricultural trade facilitation measures are less implemented than many of the traditional areas covered in trade facilitation.
Raised the question of whether general trade facilitation programs are sufficient or if sector-specific measures are needed.
And then from a policy making point of view, I mean, the question that comes in is, is it good enough to have a general trade facilitation program and trade facilitation measures that apply to everybody, or do you really need to include in a trade facilitation
program action plan, do you need to have trade facilitation measures specifically focused on sectors, on specific sectors, on special groups that have been identified as needed, particular support, and also measures specifically designed with the climate change crisis or the environment in mind?
Highlighted the importance of including measures specifically designed with climate change and the environment in mind.
program action plan, do you need to have trade facilitation measures specifically focused on sectors, on specific sectors, on special groups that have been identified as needed, particular support, and also measures specifically designed with the climate change crisis or the environment in mind?
Asked speakers to highlight emerging good practices.
And then if you can highlight emerging good practices as much as possible in your presentation, I think that would be very useful.
Thanked the previous speaker for their insights on prioritization of trade-related measures, emphasizing the importance of aligning trade facilitation programs with a country's specific needs, such as agriculture.
Thank you. Thank you very much for your, for your insights. I think the prioritization of, of measures, right.
And it goes back again to the idea of what do you want? What should you include in your trade facilitation program. You know, in some countries it may make a lot of sense to actually to focus your trade fashion program on agriculture and not on something else because agriculture is so important for your country.
Highlighted the importance of basic infrastructure at borders and the need for trade infrastructure programs to include a facilitation component and vice versa.
But this, I think the brother, the symbol of that is we're talking about infrastructure.
But what if the basic infrastructure is not in place at the border, for example?
And so it's important that the trade infrastructure program includes facilitation component. But it's also probably very important that the facilitation program don't be implemented without any thought about infrastructure.
Introduced the next speaker.
Let me move to the next speaker. And somehow my, I cannot see the program anymore, but I think it's Maria Terzara.
Thanked Teresa for her presentation and emphasized the importance of identifying good practices in sustainable trade facilitation.
Thank you very much Teresa for your presentation.
At the end of the day it's the most important thing is to try to identify some of the good practices associated with sustainable trade facilitation measure implementation.
Noted the lack of a central online hub for green sustainable practices and mentioned ESCAP's work on green trade facilitation.
is there an online hub where we can find green sustainable practices implemented in countries?
I'm happy to inform that ESCAP together with the Asian Development bank and actually OTAD as well is ramping up a lot of work on green trade facilitation and premise market facilitation.
Inquired about the traceability project and its relevance to sustainable trade facilitation.
Okay, did I miss it or you didn't really go into your traceability project?
I feel the traceability work is actually very relevant when we're talking about trade sustainable trade facilitation.
Introduced the speaker, acknowledged the complexity of the topic, and highlighted the link between trade digitalization and sustainable trade facilitation.
Okay, thank you.
Thank you very much.
Thank you. I mean I think your. The presentation is useful in the sense that it's on a specific measure, it's on E cities.
And those tradition and sustainable translation are very much linked up, linked together.
Noted the difficulty in providing simple answers and emphasized the need for continuous learning.
But I keep seeing a lot of questions also on the website and it's difficult to answer anything in a very simple way because we are talking about difficult things to do and complex things to do.
So everyone, I think the job I guess is we have to keep studying and learning from each other so we can come up with what we think is the right solution.
Mentioned the long journey of the ESIT initiative and its development since 2010.
I think how many years since ESIT.
Yeah, 2010 we have 15 years later actually.
Thanked the speaker and transitioned to discussions, inviting reactions to the presentations.
Thank you very much.
So now we are moving to discussions.
So you're welcome.
But if you can possibly also react to some of the presentations that were made in the process, that would be great.
Acknowledged SPEAKER_07's presentation and emphasized the importance of technical assistance and capacity building in addressing identified gaps.
Very good.
Thank you very much for emphasizing technical assistance and capacity building as well.
Mentioned the potential usefulness of matching WTO data with survey data.
So actually matching some of the WTO data and some of the survey data may be quite, quite useful in that regard.
Introduced SPEAKER_03 and allocated her time for discussion.
Last but not least on the discussant we've got Silvia who made it in person because I think I commented at some point that we were not sure whether you'd be online or physical.
I think you can, you can take five, six minutes because we have a 15 minute gaps between the two surveys sessions.
Thanked the speakers and discussant.
But I'd like to thank all the speakers, the discussant for very valuable information.
Acknowledged the lateness and announced a break.
We are late, so I apologize as a moderator for making everybody late.
We're going to take five plus seven minute break, I think before we start the next session.
Suggested that discriminating between products based on importance is reasonable.
I mean, if some products are more important than others, then you should facilitate them more.
Apologized for not answering all questions and noted that some were answered online or in the discussion.
And I apologize, I mean, we cannot answer all the questions. Right.
I mean, I think some of us have been trying to answer some of the questions on online, but I think a lot of the discussion also provides some answer to some of the things that have been asked.
Presented findings from the UN Trade Digitalization Index based on the Global Survey 2025, highlighting the importance of the index for measuring progress under the Framework Agreement on Facilitation of Cross Border Paperless Trade in Asia and the Pacific.
First I'm going to present the the findings we have from the UN Trade Digitalization Index based on the Global Survey 2025.
The reason why this index is important especially for ESCAP is because as some of you may know, ESCAP is a secretariat for UN treaty called the Framework Agreement on Facilitation of Cross Border Paperless Trade in Asia and the Pacific.
Showed the Trade Digitalization Index as of 2024, based on 2023 data, including 15 digital trade measures.
So I'M moving on to just showing what is the Trade Digitalization index as of 2024.
And it is based on data, survey data from 2023, the UNTF survey data 2023.
It includes 15 digital trade measures.
Discussed the methodology, which involves looking at the implementation rate of measures and equally weighting them.
We just look at the implementation rate of all those measures and then we equally weight the measures.
Presented the Trade Digitalization Index based on the UNCF Survey 2025 data, showing a global average implementation of 62% with regional disparities.
so based on, so here what I'm showing now is based on the UNCF Survey 2025 data.
So we have a global average implementation of trade digitalization of 62%.
And so with large regional disparities across region Pacific Islands 30%
Showed the evolution of trade digitalization implementation between 2021 and 2025, noting progress in all regions.
Now if you look at the evolution of the trade digitalization implementation between 2021 and 2025, so the good news is we see progress in all the regions in fact and very significant progress.
Listed the top 10 trade digitalizers and countries making the most progress.
So again, taking the UNCF Survey 2025 data, we have the top 10 trade digitalizers there as a list.
And then the countries that are making the most progress regardless of where they start from, right, include Bolivia, Cameroon, Iraq, Latvia, Oman, Togo and Trinidad and Tobago.
Discussed the implementation of paperless trade measures, including automated custom systems and single window systems.
Now if you look at the implementation of paperless trade measures, so this is like the first set of measures that we have in the trade digitalization index essentially.
I mean automated custom system as I was mentioning, is implemented everywhere if not fully at all border points.
The most common or the most popular measure everybody wants to look at and know about is single window.
Highlighted the challenges of cross-border paperless trade and its lower implementation rate.
Now if you look at cross border paperless trade. So cross border paperless trade, again, much more difficult to achieve.
And so for this reason implementation of cross border Pay is at 49% only.
Discussed countries' efforts to complete their electronic transaction legal frameworks, highlighting the UNCITRAL model law on electronic transferable records (MLETR).
A lot of countries are trying to issue to make their electronic transaction legal framework more complete.
Like one of the model laws for example that is very popular and getting a lot of attention.
Is the model law on electronic transferable records.
Noted progress in electronic exchange of customs declarations and SPA certificates, but acknowledged the distance from widespread sanitary and phytosanitary certificate exchange.
But now in terms of actual electronic exchange of things. Right. Electronic of customs declaration, for example, electronic exchange of SPA certificates. This is probably the area where there is a. A lot of work being done.
But still we are very far from having, you know, sanitary and phytoscience certificate exchange among all the trading partners.
Mentioned electronic exchange of certificate of origin as a topic of discussion with limited reports.
And then electronic exchange of certificate of origin also is something that is being discussed a lot.
But again based on the data we have from the survey is still a lot of reports.
Explained the use of the Trade Digitalization Index (TDI) in structural gravity models to assess the impact of trade digitalization on trade.
So one of the reasons we have this index is that you can use it in structural gravity models or other models to actually look at the impact of trade digitalization on trade or on other aspect of the economy.
Suggested that basic measures like electronic submission of custom declarations have a high impact on trade.
So this is kind of interesting to know even when you're thinking about the next tdi because what the coefficients tell, the higher coefficients tell you that at least in principle.
Right? So electronic submission of custom declaration, which is something that almost everybody's doing now. Right. Has, is found to have very high impact on trade.
Posed questions about improving the TDI for the 2025-2026 edition, including adding or weighting measures, using secondary data sources, and collecting new primary data.
So how could the index be improved for its 2025, 2026 edition? So this is it. Should we have additional measures added?
We change the weight of the measures?
is there any other available secondary data sources?
Proposed incorporating additional trade digitalization-related measures from the UNTF survey, such as electronic application and issuance of SPS certificates, electronic submission of custom declarations by postal operators and express carriers, legal frameworks for cross-border e-commerce, and electronic CITES application insurance.
For example, in the agricultural trade facilitation component of the survey we have a specific measure on electronic application and issuance of SPS certificates.
In the trade facilitation for E commerce component, this is a new part of the survey we added just this year we have electronic submission of custom declaration by postal operators and express carriers.
And then from the green trade facilitation we have the E CITES electronic Citus application insurance section.
Suggested including participation in trade agreements with digital trade provisions as a relevant measure.
The only one I think in the list that I'm quite keen about is actually participation in trade agreements with digital trade provisions.
If your country is part of trade agreements that have digital trade provisions, then you obviously tend to be more ready for trade digitalization.
Introduced Legal TINA, a comprehensive database of trade agreements, and its potential for calculating an indicator of digital trade provisions in trade agreements.
So Tina is a trade intelligence and negotiation advisor.
And legal Tina features 500 plus text of trade agreements.
So based on that legal Tina, I think we can easily calculate some kind of indicator of digital trade provision in trade equivalence.
Presented a potential way forward for the next trade index, including components on digital infrastructure, electronic documents, digital payment systems, cross-border data exchange, legal and regulatory frameworks, and trade facilitation support tools.
So if we integrate the existing, some of the measures that we, that I, that we discussed last two slides, this is the way the next trade index could look like with component on digital infrastructure and system, component on electronic documents and mission issuance, a component on digital payment systems, on cross border data exchange, on the legal and regulatory framework and on trade facilitation support tools.
Emphasized that it was illustrative and for consideration, not a final decision.
Again, this is very illustrative, but just food for thoughts. We're not going to make any decisions today.
Expressed uncertainty about microphone quality.
Yeah, I think I should be okay. I know it depends because it's maybe.
Clarified that the survey is fact-based, not a perception survey, and involves consulting experts and desk research.
This is considered to be a fact based survey.
Not so there is no sample.
We just call it. We, we consult experts think what is this measure implemented or not.
So a lot of it, a lot of it is based on, on our own research. Right. Desk research.
Acknowledged the value of a private sector perception survey but cited cost constraints.
One, one thing that is very important that we always wanted to do but we. It would be very useful to replicate the survey almost the same using almost the same questionnaire and get exactly do a perception survey from the private sector side because right now what we have in the, in the survey the result, you can say this is more government side because it's all validated by government.
So problem is doing the private sector side costs a lot of money we don't have.
Confirmed that the survey is validated by government.
right now what we have in the, in the survey the result, you can say this is more government side because it's all validated by government.
Indicated that a private sector survey would be valuable but is too expensive.
So problem is doing the private sector side costs a lot of money we don't have.
Summarized key takeaways from the discussion, including the importance of data standardization, cybersecurity, real-time digitalization, and AI.
I heard about data standardization several times right.
Both WCO and unic I'm not surprised but cyber security I think they're important I heard them in real time.
This is batch type digitalization I mean I think it's relevant AI hopefully we're actually going to do a joint something together right.
Mentioned potential collaboration on AI and the relevance of the WIPO innovation index.
On the AI together so I support the AI extension of the self ADB already then
I'm thinking that we should probably look at the innovation index there is of what is this organization wipo we just issued I think wipo I'll tell you what it was they just issued a innovation so actually this could be a good measure
Emphasized the importance of the environmental aspect of AI, clarifying the misunderstanding about the energy intensity of different types of AI.
I mean environmental aspect I think important.
Generative AI is one type of AI. There's a lot of other AI that are not energy intensive Right.
But people completely misunderstand some of that but.
Suggested removing the E Custom refunds recommendation.
one very specific recommendation on E Custom refunds not important so maybe we can get rid of that one we'll see
Highlighted the Cross Border Paperless Trade Database (cbpt) developed in cooperation with ESCAP and ICC, inviting feedback and mentioning discussions with the WTO regarding potential partnership.
we have developed what's called the cbpt, the Cross Border Paperless Trade Database which is a cooperation between ESCAP and icc International Chamber of Commerce, DSI and that database, it's database of all the
And in fact we've been discussing with WTO Emmanuel because we did the toolkit together right also to do whether WTF could become a partner on this cross border paper history database.
But I think you may want to take a look at this and we are happy to get some feedback.
SPEAKER_06
Summary Sentence
Supporting Quotes
We.
We.
Introduced the Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation as a public-private partnership that helps developing countries implement trade facilitation.
For those of you who don't know the Global alliance, just a quick word is that we are a public private partnership initiative that helps developing countries implement trade facilitation.
Noted that trade facilitation doesn't carry the weight it used to, but supply chain resilience and public health do.
But perhaps first there's a general observation from our conversations with business.
And I realize this is perhaps both stating the obvious and swearing in church, but trade facilitation when we talk to business does not carry the weight it did a couple of years ago.
Neither does it sometimes when we talk to the governments.
But if we speak about supply chain resilience, if we speak about public health, if we speak about the topics that trade facilitation solves, Those are top of mind for business and for government.
Mentioned the upcoming publication of a paper focusing on the experience of the E5 solution and its impact on greenhouse gas emissions.
So perhaps zooming in on that and also mentioning on the fact that there is that we need more evidence on this, I think we are in these days or this week actually publishing a paper called New Goods Not Paper that is specifically focusing on the experience of the E5 solution where we worked with, obviously based on IPPC and FAO's Efyto Hub, but also based and looked at previous research, not least from Yan, who I think pioneered this topic with actually looking at greenhouse emissions and what trade facilitation solves.
Emphasized that bad implementation kills good policies and that the system needs to work for SMEs.
But I think also, and this is also coming back to sort of our general take on things and our point of view, bad implementation kills good policies, it kills good digitalization, it kills good, good sustainability practices.
And the system needs to work and it needs to function for you.
Highlighted the need for more focus on circular economy and the importance of implementing things such as the Basel Convention.
And I think also coming back to where we see needs, I think an area and again back to environmental is circular economy.
This is again buzzwords, things that people care about, things that businesses are talking about, but where the sheer requirements in terms of certificates, in terms of obligations makes it nearly impossible sometimes.
Yes, it's about policies, but it's also about implementing things such as the Basel Convention or other things to make sure that e waste the textiles can move.
Stressed that digitalization alone will not solve problems and that basic infrastructure, such as toilets for women at border posts, is still lacking.
And obviously a lot of the work that the alliance does is on digitalization and simplifying processes through digitalization or digitization of documents.
But that alone and again state in August but will not solve things.
We're talking about women and SMEs in trade.
There's still plenty of border posts out there and borders that doesn't have toilets for women.
So how are you can have the most digitalized system in the world, but if you can't access a toilet, well, then you're going to have an issue.
Stated that they may not be able to solve a problem, but it needs to be looked at holistically from a user point of view, including talking to chambers of commerce and other stakeholders to ensure systems work for them.
we need to look at this from a broad point of view.
we need to look at it holistically and we need to look at it from a user point of view, talking to the chambers of commerce and other stakeholders, talking to business, talking to people who will be using the systems and making sure that it works for them.
Clarified his affiliation with the CITES Secretariat within UNEP.
I'm part of unep, yes.
But I'm particularly from the Citus Secretariat
Thanked Yan for the invitation and acknowledged the timeliness and relevance of the workshop.
But thank you very much, Yan and for the invitation to speak at this workshop. Very timely, very relevant.
Highlighted their past involvement with the global survey and expressed gratitude to the partners for including the new indicator on electronic CITES permit systems.
And as someone who has been part of the event global Survey before in my previous organizations, I feel very close to the survey and I Would like to also thank all the partners, the regional commissions and for including the new indicator on electronic cytospart systems is very welcome.
The presentation covered the context of CITES, the status based on survey results, related challenges in implementation, and guidance from the Secretariat.
In my presentation I'm going to talk about basically I'm sort of given overview of what is the context, sort of set the context.
I'll give you some status based on the. The survey results and then some related challenges of these are simplementation and then perhaps provide some guidance of how from. From the Secretary itself how we kind of see ourselves developing which in direction in which direction and based on what we develop our guidance.
Introduced CITES as a convention regulating international trade in endangered species, aiming for sustainable, traceable, and legal wildlife trade while supporting conservation and livelihoods.
So let me begin with a convention. It's a conventional international trade in endangered species of volume and flora established in 1973.
So the objective is very nice is really sustainable, traceable and legal wildlife trade.
So ultimately the conservation is a big issue and also supporting the livelihoods of the people living off the wildlife is another main target sites.
Noted the significant illegal wildlife trade and the economic sectors relying on CITES trade.
So unfortunately there's a lot of illegal trade wildlife trade as you probably know.
There are many economic sectors that rely on Citus trade really related to the food industry, the timber industry, the pharmaceuticals, the cosmetics, the fashion industry, etc.
Mentioned over 25 million transactions recorded in the CITES database and emphasized that CITES trade is not fully captured in E-commerce trade statistics.
We have over 25 million transactions recorded in the Citus database.
Citus trade is not part of E Oncom trade.
The objective of eCITES is to help compliance and simplify the process.
Now the objective of these CITES is again it's not sort for the sake of implementing a digital solution but actually really helping the compliance Citus trade to do much more with this and also to simplify the process and really implement the objective of the convention itself.
Described the four distinct sections of an ideal eCITES permit system: electronic applications and issuance, electronic control/authentication, reporting/statistic generation, and permit exchange between parties.
And in an ideal ecitis permanent system, what we call an ideal ecitis permanent system or e citizen in short we have four distinct sections that we talk about.
There's one includes the electronic applications and issuance. Second is the electronic control or authentication of status permits at the border. Then we have the reporting or the statistic generation and then we have the exchange of permit between the parties.
Explained how electronic CITES permit systems help parties by providing verifiable legal information, scientific evidence, quota management support, and traceability data.
Really the first off is you can really have verifiable legal information.
The second is we have the scientific evidence that the species in question it does not is not. It does not have the threat to the survival of itself.
We can support the quota management from there export quota etc.
We also have the traceability data as much as the transaction goes the trader profile etc.
Presented the current status of eCITES implementation based on the survey, indicating that about 60 parties have somewhat implemented the systems globally, with a doubling of partial implementation since 2023.
Now, going into the current status of the ECRS implementation based on the survey I have just put out the took the data from from the website
This year we have seen that about 60 parties have somewhat have implemented the satisfarmonic systems across the globe.
the numbers actually doubled in terms of partial implementation has doubled since 2023.
Noted regional variations in implementation, with Europe leading, followed by Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Africa/Western Asia lagging behind.
If you look at the regions it's quite a lot of variation there and clearly Europe being the leader in terms of partially implementing the saddest system first followed by Asia Pacific and then the Latin American region and Africa and Western Asia region actually quite behind, which gives us a proper sense of what from the Secretary at what we have we experienced working with the parties.
Highlighted the variation in functionalities among partially implemented systems and the lack of implementation of international standards.
What do we mean by partial implementation?
When we think of our knowledge, our information from the parties it shows that there's a huge variation in terms of the functionalities of the systems.
It's clear that there is also lack of implementation of the international standards at the Secretariat we do have we based on the UNDC even CFACT reference data model.
Emphasized the importance of reporting actual trade data and the challenges faced by some parties in doing so.
Again coming back to the statistic issue because reporting is very important from the. From the site to secondary point of view we need to know how much trade has actually happened.
So some, some parties are not able to report on the actual trade the. The specimens that have crossed the border they provide us the report on number of permits issued.
Explained the ESIGHT standards based on UNC fragment WC data model and emphasized the importance of data interoperability between customs.
So as I said our ESIGHT standards are based on UNC fragment WC data model.
But for us data interoperability between customs is really key.
Highlighted the need to include Green TF measures and consider the needs of Citus Management Authorities in National Trade Facilitation Committees.
For that matter, when we talk about inclusion and I thank Paul for mentioning this how to include other Green TF measures into the survey or in the discussions more and more and also recently being asking about questions about how many let's say this management authorities are part of the National Trade Presentation Committee.
Perhaps this is the time we should kind of ask those questions and how far, how far these needs from the Citus Management Authority which are again an OGS government agencies needs are reflected in the discussion of the National Trade Facilitation Committees.
Described ESIGHT's role in data traceability, enforcement, and policy decisions related to biodiversity and conservation.
So again as I said for the Citus Convention compliance, data traceability, data enforcement, scientific reporting, everything is based on the data and the ESIGHT edge is really at the core of this system.
And so it is the single system that can generate a lot of data for us which will help. Which really helps us to make policy decision decisions in terms of either including the species or excluding the species from the convention and which has direct bearing on the biodiversity and conservation.
Showcased guidance and toolkits for parties to implement, including technical specifications and project implementation guidance.
So this is the latest version of our toolkit which includes the technical specification as I said based on both the UNCfax and WC data models.
We have a project implementation guidance guidance as well so just to give you a given over overview of how to manage any Citus project and also this is why we also include the thinking holistically in terms of national TF and other issues to make it make consideration of those and making some assessments before implementing the ecitus module.
Mentioned the development of guidance on the use of barcodes on Citus permits for authentication and validation.
So authentication and validation of permits at the border is very important for us.
So that's why based on the demand from the parties we have developed this guidance on use of barcodes on the Citus permit system and then we have specific technical specification what is what should be in that barcode and how this can be made security with encrypted data with digital signatures so that anyone who wants to verify the data with the actual permit can be can be verified.
Thanked donors and energy partners for their support and invited attendees to the CITUS COP20 in Samarkand.
Coming close to the presentation I'd like to thank all the donors and the energy partners for all through that everyone is here.
So yeah again without the support of all these organizations obviously wherever we are there's a secretariat we could not have come this far.
So thank you all of you and maybe I'll just. And more of the expl just again would like to invite all of you to the CITUS COP the Congress of the Parties COP 20 happening end of this year 24th or 5th of December in Samarkand.
Reported that the Bazaar foundation is following their approach and working on their electronic permit certificate.
I'm quite happy that also to report maybe unofficially also that our colleague sister Multidata Environment from the PRS foundation, the Bazaar foundation, they're also following through this our approach and they're also working on their electronic permit certificate.
Acknowledged that CITUS was one of the first MEAs to develop electronic site standards.
Yeah, so CITUS is one of the initial MES to to I think maybe the first one to develop an electronic site standards based on the EC and the WSA model.
Expressed gratitude.
Thank you.
Agreed.
Yeah.
Made brief interjections, 'Low implementation to top implementation' and 'Then'.
Low implementation to top implementation.
Then.
Expressed agreement and understanding with "Right."
Right.
Right.
Right.
Acknowledged the presentation.
Right.
Acknowledged SPEAKER_05's clarification.
Right.
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Thanked for the invitation and commended the regional commissions and UNCTAD for their work.
Thank you y for that and thank you Jan and Paul for the, for the invitation and really I want to commend the regional commissions and UNCTAD for this really insightful work.
Focused on the global community's implementation commitments under the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA).
So let me start. I mean, I will change gears a bit here at the intro and just sort of focus initially on sort of where the global community stands in terms of implementation commitments under the trade facilitation.
Noted that 166 WTO members have committed to 85% adherence to the TFA and that there is still some way to go in respect of core TFA obligations.
that 166 WTO members have committed to 85% adherence to the TFA.
So even in respect of core TFA obligations, there's still some way to go.
Discussed the challenges and opportunities in implementing trade facilitation measures, particularly single window test procedures, AEO, risk management, and border agency cooperation.
So, I mean, among these measures, you probably are familiar with the measures that are still pose the greatest challenge.
We're talking about single window test procedures, aeo, risk management, border agency cooperation.
Highlighted the need for development assistance for Category C measures, noting that many must be implemented by 2030.
Here is the Category C measures. So these are measures for which members have requested development assistance.
over the next five years, that is through 2030, there are five over 500 measures.
Emphasized the importance of identifying implementation gaps and directing assistance effectively, mentioning a WTO TFA Facility survey that assesses TACB needs.
So we, so what I love about this study is we're really trying to identify where those gaps are.
And I just wanted to give you an initial report on what some colleagues at the WTO in the TFA facility have been doing in trying to identify implementation gaps.
Noted that while some members are relying on domestic resources, others still require assistance, particularly in areas like test procedures and border agency cooperation.
And, and that suggests that members are in certain instances looking for ways to rely on domestic resources to implement these provisions.
But there are other provisions. I'm thinking of test procedures and even in some instances border agency cooperation where there are still some needs unmet.
Stressed the need for vertical scaling, broader regional coverage, and sustainable long-term interventions.
So this is an example of the need for vertical scaling that's included on the slide.
But the findings also show a need to cover more regions and languages and to ensure deeper and lasting interventions that can really guarantee sustainable long term results.
Presented the WCO Performance Measurement Mechanism (PMM), outlining its methodology for assessing customs performance across four dimensions.
So the WCO Performance Measurement Mechanism or PMM outlines the methodology for assessing the efficiency and effectiveness of all customs competence structured around four dimensions of customs performance.
Highlighted the voluntary nature of the assessment, the use of a digital platform, and the peer review process.
The assessment itself is voluntary, so it's up to members if they want to provide the data.
We set up digital platform where they can provide this.
There's also peer review in place that's not only self assessment but we have also peer reviewed in the customs community to
Shared data from the first cycle, focusing on KPIs related to electronic declarations and data standardization.
All data in the first cycle of the PMM and consequently being reflected in the report which refers to data for the year 2022.
So the KPI of the rates of electronic declaration measures which you had also in your survey as well, it shows the percentage of declarations import, export, transit and cargo as uplift electronically through the single window.
This KPI tracks the percentage of customs declaration having undergone process of data science agents reception.
Provided links to the interactive data dashboard and the published report.
You will find all the information in interactive Data Dashboard. It's public available pmm.wcl.org
furthermore we developed a report and publishes as a PDF. You can find it under this QR code, also free available on our WCR website.
Discussed the potential release of data, its timing depending on the outcome of discussions, and the aim to include the latest available data.
Then we might release it with the data of this year or last year depends on the outcome of the discussion.
So we try to have it have the latest data as possible available but some members need more time to aggregate such kind of data.
Highlighted close collaboration with all departments of the WCO, acting as a focal point for data models and providing recommendations for KPIs.
And also we are working very close with all departments of the wco.
All of them have focal points.
So for example data model, I'm the focal point and we give recommendations what could be good KPI to measure the implementation of the success of our instrumental tools.
Suggested potential synergies due to similar goals and instruments.
We might find some way for synergies as we are very.
As we have similar goals.
The same goals I would say and very similar instrument as you can see.
Focused on the difference between paperless trade and cross-border paperless trade, noting a good foundation for paperless trade but challenges in cross-border exchange.
really sort of drill down into this difference between paperless trade and cross border exchanges. Cross border, paperless trade.
we're pretty good on paperless trade.
So you know, when it comes down to looking at the, some of the paperless trade provisions, there's a fairly good foundation.
Suggested focusing on national frameworks and case studies to demonstrate the benefits of cross-border paperless trade, referencing examples from WTO committee experiences.
it may be from national frameworks that we start to get those ideas, that we start to see some convergence.
Secondly, I think individual case studies, examples, if that can be included.
we've heard a lot of those cases in the transit area.
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Presented a private sector view on digitalization challenges faced by FIATA members, representing freight forwarding and logistics companies worldwide.
So as Paul mentioned, I am offering more of a view from the private sector, a little bit of information about some of the challenges that are faced by our members.
So FIATA represents the freight forwarding and logistics industry, representing members in approximately 150 plus territories.
Emphasized the importance of digitalization and multimodality in the evolving trade environment for resilience in global supply chains.
But I think that now in today's ever evolving trade environment, the new challenges that we have, the need to ensure that trade can continue to move along trade corridors, both established ones and ones that are under development, I think this is really provides even more of an opportunity for digitalization to demonstrate how it can really help to facilitate trade and help to ensure that, for example, in terms of anticipation, preparation and responsiveness, we're able to really be more resilient in the global supply chains.
But I think another point that's very important is multimodality.
Highlighted the need for harmonization rather than fragmentation in digitalization initiatives.
But what we would like to stress as well that it was important that in order for digitalization to fulfill its objective, that there is this harmonization and not fragmentation.
Previewed a survey indicating technology's expected impact on the logistics industry, particularly e-commerce, digitalization, and automation.
So recently, so this is kind of a very mini preview of a survey that we did very recently with our members, which will actually be published as part of our Fiat Markets report, which will be released, I believe in a few weeks prior to the Fiat World Congress
As you can see on the right hand graph. E Commerce, Digitalization, Automation, Artificial Intelligence.
Noted that technology and infrastructure require the most development in logistics.
But yet technology together with infrastructure are one of the areas that requires the, the most development in logistics at the moment.
Explained FIATA's approach to trade digitalization, focusing on collaboration to foster digital standards, mapping digital data standards for technical interoperability, and promoting legal standardization and certainty.
So in terms of Fiasco's approach to trade digitalization.
So we really think that what's important is to ensure that we can use digitalization as a tool and to really be able to use it to also facilitate market access for all actors worldwide.
So first of all, really looking to collaborate to foster digital standards for a cohesive digital future.
And we also work to map digital data standards for technical interoperability.
and then finally trying to promote legal standardization and certainty as well.
Discussed the benefits of digitalizing trade documents, particularly electronic bills of lading, for streamlined verification, visibility, and customs compliance.
So in terms of some of the benefits that we see for digitalizing trade documents and digital generally.
Really looking at the electronic theatre bill of Lading
facilitate more streamlined verification and processing of cargo, also being able to ensure greater visibility and being able to aid customs compliance.
Highlighted the FIATA Electronic FIATA Multimodal Bill of Lading as a solution.
So the FIATA Electronic FIATA Multimodal Bill of Lading is really a solution that we've created to digitalize the paper version that we have.
Emphasized the importance of adapting to environments where paper is still required, the need for digital identities and networks of trust, and the significance of data governance and protection regulations.
Also, the ability to adapt to environments where paper is still required is something that remains crucial
digital identities and networks of trust are key to being able to ensure that we can have this trust and verification of the data.
whether there should be some kind of indicator based on data governance regulation or data protection regulation
Mentioned the UNCITRAL convention as a key driver for digital trade and stressed the importance of harmonization of standards, building trusted networks, and ensuring accessibility for all companies and countries.
So I mentioned here the UNC chart, NCT convention, simply because it's something that I probably many of you already know about but it's a key development that would be probably a big driver for digital trade.
harmonization of Detroit digitalization standards and solutions, building trusted networks and ensuring strong data governance is really key.
just ensuring accessibility for companies of all sizes and countries in all stages of development.
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