This project’s purpose is to update the UN/CEFACT Recommendation No. 4 on National Trade Facilitation Bodies.

The Recommendation No. 4 recommends that governments establish and support national trade facilitation bodies mainly to (a) identify issues and discuss solutions for achieving efficiency in trade transaction; and (b) provide national focal point for dissemination of best practices and participate in international trade facilitation. However, after adoption of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement in Bali in December 2013, and the multiplicity of Trade Facilitation bodies that have emerged in countries in recent years (e.g. Coordination Committee for Single Window, National Trade and Transport Facilitation Committees, National Logistics Council, and so on), there is increased demand for a national platform, which will be the main coordinating body for any trade facilitation reforms, facilitate effective consultation among the public and private sector stakeholders.
The concept of Trade Facilitation has evolved over the past several years, turning from a technical to a policy matter requiring greater integration of various stakeholders. This calls for a revised structure of the Body including the roles and responsibilities of the members of the Committee. The revised recommendation will be comprehensive to allow a country to use it for a specific national body depending on the type of the body as well as the various approaches of consultation. In addition, the Terms of Reference (ToR) for the body and its subsidiary bodies will be revised taking into consideration the parallel work developed in the UN/CEFACT project on Consultation Approaches for Public and Private Sector Consultation.
In order to carry out the above, the ‘maintenance’ update of the Recommendation No. 4, developed under the Consultation Approaches project may be used as the initial draft of the update project.

The project deliverables are:
a) Revised Recommendation on National Trade Facilitation Bodies.
b) Revised Guidelines on National Trade Facilitation Bodies

Revised recommendation and guidelines – revised recommendation text and guideline text are ready for publishing & external review log showing that all serious comments have been considered.

Membership is open to experts with broad knowledge in the area of trade facilitation, national trade facilitation bodies and consultation approaches for public and private sectors. Experts are expected to contribute to the work based solely on their expertise and to comply with the UN/CEFACT Code of Conduct and Ethics.

To be decided

The geographic focus is global.

Recommendation 4 Second Addition, 2001
Guidelines to Recommendation 4, 2000
Maintenance update which was prepared in the framework of the Consultation project
WTO Bali Agreement TFA

Participants in the project shall provide resources for their own participation. The existence and functioning of the project shall not require any resources from the UNECE Secretariat.

Project Leader: Estelle Igwe
Editors: Lance THOMPSON