UN/CEFACT met in Geneva under the auspices of the United Nations
Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), 26-29 March 2001

"The international trade transaction costs in the world amount to $ 3 trillion and they can be substantially reduced – by up to 60% - but this requires leadership, knowledge and effort", says Ray Walker, Chairman of the Steering Group of the UN Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business (UN/CEFACT)¹ whose Plenary has just met under the auspices of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) in Geneva.One of the most important recommendations of the meetings was that UN Member States should support the promulgation of voluntary codes of conduct for electronic business so as to facilitate the development of international e-trade. Such codes could contain specific elements linked to transparency, confidentiality, privacy, and reliability of international transactions. For example, with regard to electronic signatures the signing parties would agree on what reliable forms and technologies to accept for electronic signatures; the verification of an electronic signature; the quality standards imposed on third parties; the responsibility for the confidentiality of the electronic signature.Another important result of the meeting was to revise the Recommendation which standardises the UN Layout Key for Trade Documents. In concrete terms it means that trade forms such as invoice, orders, bills, be they on paper or in electronic format, will be the same throughout the worldUN/CEFACT also approved another instrument entitled Facilitation Measures related to International Trade Procedures, an umbrella for all UN Recommendations on trade facilitation, and a key document which summarises the facilitation measures that Governments may undertake in support of business world wide.The Plenary was preceded by a conference covering the new aspects of electronic business developed or under discussion in the UN/CEFACT environment, such as the Global Commerce Initiative, the UN/CEFACT Modelling Methodology, and legal and technological instruments for creating trust in the electronic commerce. The major conclusion of the conference was that both the industry and consumer communities need interoperable, global standards in order to increase the effectiveness of electronic business.UN/CEFACT approved the rapid progress in the emerging international standard, ebXML. This ambitious eighteen-month project will be completed on time in May 2001. This new global standard for electronic business will especially benefit small and medium-sized companies in developed, developing and transition economies. To support the ebXML initiative, UN/CEFACT also adopted a new strategy for closer cooperation with industry.UN/CEFACT elected a new Chairman for the Centre, Dr. Christian Frühwald of Germany, who has been working for Siemens and in various ICT standardization committees for 10 years. Mr. Frühwald stressed that, "Trade facilitation by reducing barriers to trade and standardisation of business and governmental processes makes part of the basis of the new global environment, especially as the Internet technologies bring people closer together. A priority for me will be the integration of the existing governmental and industry activities on standardization in this field under the global roof of UN/CEFACT."For more information please contact:

Hans Hansell

United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
Palais des Nations
CH - 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland
Telephone: (+ 41 22) 917 24 57Telefax: (+ 41 22) 917 00 37

E-mail: [email protected]

 Ref: ECE/TRADE/01/04