Response to pandemic crisis
other
Project Details
Project Purpose
In addition to devastating human losses and suffering, the Covid-19 pandemic has a profound impact on the global economy and economic operators across regional and international value chains. Not only is the pandemic provoking both demand and supply-side shocks, it is also disrupting trade linkages, and the movement and release of goods between countries. Public authorities tend to increase controls on imported goods and consignments to prevent the virus from spreading, or to impose export restrictions on essential goods for national health and food security reasons. Bottlenecks and delays at the border may also emerge due to a general lack of prescribed emergency cross-border formalities and/or insufficient readiness and capacity of border regulatory agencies to apply and enforce expedited checks and controls to release priority consignments during a pandemic.
[Facilitating and expediting the cross-border movement of goods is critical for two reasons. First, in the short term, to ensure rapid international distribution of essential goods such as medical equipment and food products during the health crisis. Second, and in the intermediate term, to mitigate the impact of pandemic-driven disruption on global economic activity and cross-border movement of goods by reducing disruptions to supply and consumption of goods.]
Developing and installing a framework of standard operating procedures during a pandemic crisis, will help facilitate effective and efficient border controls on movement of goods. It will allow to continue to comply with regulations while expediting movement of essential goods. UN/CEFACT is an effective channel to promote this agenda. With the introduction of a specific recommendation for standard operating procedures for release of priority products during a pandemic crisis we aim to:
- Promote to Member States the necessity of adopting specific measures and operating procedures in order to facilitate and expedite joint controls of essential goods and to ease cross-border trade flows during and in the aftermath of a global health crisis. Improved trade facilitation measures will also help governments deliver to the 2030 Agenda, particularly SDG8 pertaining to decent work and economic growth, SDG11 which prescribes integrated policies that build resilience of communities, as well as SDG 17 contributing to growth of exports of developing countries. In particular, implementation of trade facilitation measures may also contribute to WTO Member States’ compliance with the Trade Facilitation Agreement.
- Promote the importance and relevance of this work to a wider range of stakeholders including the private sector, regulatory bodies and non-government organizations.