Introduction
- The provisional agenda for the fifty-fifth session of the Meeting of
Experts on Procedures and Documentation (GE.2) has been established in
accordance with decisions taken by the Working Party on Facilitation of
International Trade Procedures (WP.4) at its forty-fourth session in September
1996.
- The provisional timetable presented below has been agreed upon by the
Bureau of the Working Party on Facilitation of International Trade Procedures
for the sessions of WP.4 Meetings of Experts and, if approved by the ECE, for
the first session of the Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business (CEFACT). Because of the special nature
of this first session, this timetable is only indicative. The Report of the
CEFACT first session will be approved during the first half of the afternoon
session on Wednesday, 19 March 1997. It is expected that the experts of GE.1 and
GE.2 will have a joint session on legal issues in the afternoon of Thursday, 20
March 1997. The Reports of the sessions of GE.1 and GE.2, as well of their joint
session will be approved during the first half of the afternoon session on
Friday, 21 March 1997.
a.m. p.m.
Monday 17 March 1997 CEFACT CEFACT
Tuesday 18 March 1997 CEFACT GE.2
Wednesday 19 March 1997 GE.2 GE.1/CEFACT
Thursday 20 March 1997 GE.1 GE.1/GE.2
Friday 21 March 1997 CEFACT Steering GE.1/GE.2
Group
- If approved by the ECE, the first CEFACT meeting will begin at 10:00 on
Monday, 17 March 1997 to nominate officers and discuss the migration to CEFACT
as well as outstanding WP.4 work items. During the meeting on 17 March 1997, the
WP.4 Bureau will report on the CDT and ECE decisions with regard to CEFACT and
the plans for migration of existing work. In the context of trade facilitation
work, the word "delegations" refers not only to countries but also to
international organizations regularly represented at meetings.
Item 1 - Adoption of the agenda
- In accordance with the Commission's Rules of Procedures, the first item on
the provisional agenda (document TRADE/WP.4/GE.2/106/Rev.1) is the adoption of
the agenda.
- In accordance with the Commission's Rules of Procedures and established
practice, the Meeting is expected to elect a Chairman and a Vice-Chairman for
the year 1997. However, at the March 1996 session, because of the proposed
transition to CEFACT, it was agreed on an exceptional basis (and reported in
TRADE/WP.4/103) that the officers elected at that session would remain in office
through the March 1997 session. In 1996, Mr. E. Goffin (Belgium) was elected as
Chairman, Mrs. C. Wallen-Rahlen (Sweden) and Mr. A. Filippov (Russian
Federation) were elected as Vice-Chairpersons of the Meeting of Experts.
Item 2 - Migration to CEFACT
- The Meeting of Experts will discuss the migration of those work items under
its responsibility to the new CEFACT structures.
- Document TRADE/R.650 contains the consolidated final proposal from the
Working Party on the establishment of CEFACT.
Item 3 - Analysis of the International Trade Transaction (ITT)
- Document TRADE/WP.4/R.1271 is the report by the Steering group of the
Maintenance Agency for the International Trade Transaction (ITT) modelling
activities since the 54th session of GE.2, with a proposal for the creation of
a Permanent CEFACT Working Group on International Trade Transaction (ITT)
containing a mandate, the terms of reference and the draft programme of work of
the group, which is for discussion and approval in line with the migration of
this work item to the new CEFACT structure.
- Document TRADE/WP.4/CRP.127, Concordance between commercial documents and
UN/EDIFACT messages, is an input for discussion by the delegation of Romania.
Item 4 - Implementation of ECE/FAL Recommendations
- The Meeting of Experts considers during its sessions the questions of the
implementation of specific measures falling under the respective programme items
of work.
(a) Recommendation No. 4 "National Trade Facilitation Organizations"
- To encourage a discussion on the development of national and regional
committees on facilitation of international trade procedures and the revision
of Recommendation No.4, the secretariat has amended the list of existing
committees and focal points (document TRADE/WP.4/R.898/Rev.8).
(b) Recommendation No.10 "Ships' codes"
- Document TRADE/WP.4/R.1274, prepared by the secretariat, on the basis of
the proposal made by ICS, contains the revision of Recommendation No.10 which
was approved at the fifty-fourth session of GE.2.
(c) Recommendation No.12 "Measures to facilitate transport documents procedures"
- At the previous session, the Meeting had no written contributions on the
subject, but recognized that the topic was extremely important in respect of the
implementation of non-negotiable documentation in the area of maritime transport
and decided to keep this item on the agenda.
(d) Recommendation No. 16 "UN/LOCODE - Code for Ports and other locations"
- Document TRADE/WP.4/R.1275 is a proposal by ICS for the creation of an ad
hoc CEFACT Working Group on the maintenance of this Recommendation in line with
the migration of this work item to the new CEFACT structures.
- Document TRADE/WP.4/CRP.128 is an additional input by the CEFACT Consultant
on UN/LOCODE to the subject.
(e) Recommendation No.18 "Facilitation measures related to international
trade procedures"
- Delegations will report on the activities in respect of Recommendation
No.18.
(f) Recommendation No.21 "Codes for Types of Cargo, Packages and Packaging
Materials"
- Document ECE/TRADE/211 contains the third edition of amended WP.4
Recommendation No.21 in accordance with the proposal made by the delegation of
Germany (document TRADE/WP.4/R.1263).
Item 5 - Revision of the Kyoto Convention
- Document TRADE/WP.4/CRP.129 is a position paper on the subject, prepared by
the secretariat, defining the role of WP.4 in the revision of this Convention.
Item 6 - Trade documents names and functions
- At the previous session, it was agreed to revert to this subject after the
finalization of the WP.4 re-engineering process.
Item 7 - Aligned forms and the Trade Data Elements Directory
(UNTDED)
- Document TRADE/WP.4/CRP.130, an improved form of the Single Administrative
Document for Customs Declaration, is an input by the delegation of Romania.
- Document TRADE/WP.4/R.1272 contains the report from the Legal Rapporteurs.
This document is for information and discussion.
Item 9 - Other business
- Document TRADE/WP.4/CRP.131 contains the report from the Comité International
des Transports Ferroviaires on the use of the Multimodal Dangerous
Goods Declaration in accordance with WP.4 Recommendation No.11 "Documentary
Aspects of the International Transport of Dangerous Goods".
Item 10 - Adoption of the Report of the fifty-fifth session
- In accordance with established practice, the Meeting of Experts will adopt
the Report of its fifty-fifth session in the form of a summary, prepared by the
secretariat, of decisions taken during the session, to be presented to the
Working Party/CEFACT for approval.
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