Through its work, the International Trade Procedures Working Group seeks to identify, simplify, harmonize and align public and private sector practices, procedures and information flows relating to international trade transactions both in goods and related services.

Currently, the ITPWG-TBG15 is working on:

• Single Window: Further development of Recommendations and Guidelines on Establishing a Single Window (SW) by offering a repository of SW case studies and addressing the issue of international standards and interoperability of SW facilities. [more]
• e-Invoicing: Revision of the recommendation 6 on Aligned Invoice Layout Key for International Trade to ensure that it contains the elements required to exchange information electronically. [more]
• Maintenance of other relevant UN/CEFACT recommendations, such as recommendation 11 on Documentary Aspects of the Transport of Dangerous Goods, Recommendation 12 on Measures to Facilitate Maritime Transport Documents and Recommendation 4 on National Trade Facilitation Bodies.
• Development and promotion of the Trade Facilitation Implementation Guide to assist trade facilitation practitioners, particularly from developing and transition countries, in assessing their needs and priorities and implementing existing international trade facilitation standards, recommendations and other instruments.
• Organizing various capacity building events to support trade facilitation implementation world wide.

Recently completed work items of the Group include:

• Publishing Recommendations and Guidelines on Establishing a Single Window to enhance the efficient exchange of information between trade and government (UN/CEFACT Recommendation 33).
• Developing a Trade Facilitation Benchmarking Guide to facilitate the comprehension of benchmarking in the area of trade facilitation.
• Publishing a summary of UN/CEFACT recommendations and standards, providing for each document equivalent ISO standard number (where appropriate), current status, relevant publication and links, and information on French and Russian editions.

The ITPWG-TBG15 also provides an opportunity for the participants to promote and receive feedback on their own activities and to analyse the latest developments in trade facilitation, such as the WTO negotiations on Trade Facilitation.