[Index]
UN creates a sustainable environment for
next generation e-Business technology
EDIFACT Working Group meeting (EWG),
Rotterdam, Netherlands, 10-14 September 2001
Geneva, 16 October 2001
Today, vital functions in our societies such as
procurement, health, transport and environment are performed through the
exchange of computerised information. A significant number of these
exchanges are based on UN/EDIFACT, the United Nations international
standard for electronic business developed by the Economic Commission for
Europe (UNECE). The value of UN/EDIFACT directories to the economies and
societies in the world is difficult to estimate in monetary terms given the
major role the standards play in our daily lives. The UN/EDIFACT Working Group
(EWG) is committed to building this wealth of knowledge into the next
generation of e-business.
"Based on our 20 years’ experience of thousands of
companies delivering electronic interchange standards, we see that there’s
now a need to describe and publish our business processes know-how as standard
models" said Pierre Georget, Chairman of the UN/EDIFACT Working Group at
the Group’s recent meeting in Rotterdam, 10-14 September. "We have
just developed and agreed on a new strategic and open platform to develop the
next generation of electronic business standards".1
With UNECE’s trade facilitation activities dating back to
1960, the Working Group recognizes that whereas information technology is
evolving rapidly, the basic business processes and practices remain relatively
stable. The Group has therefore decided to distinguish between business
process descriptions and their syntax-based implementation such as UN/EDIFACT,
XML or future technologies. In doing so, the Group will work closely with ANSI
ASC X122 to incorporate that business know-how into the future
directories.
By developing a universal library of business models,
information models and the transformation rules into specific
business-to-business syntaxes, the Group sets the framework for a stable
development of existing and future e-business standards. At the Rotterdam
meeting the Working Group also agreed on a proposal for an organizational
structure for an electronic business working group (ebWG), where business and
information technology experts can develop together these standards,
within the United Nations.
At its next meeting, to be held in Barcelona, Spain, from
18 to 22 March 2002, the Group hopes to move to a restructured electronic
business Working Group to be confirmed by the UN/CEFACT Plenary.
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1 The EWG
proposal for the future structure and organization for e-business
standardization within UN/CEFACT (CEFACT/EWG/2001/N002).
2 ANSI
Accredited Standards Committee (ASC) X12, (USA) Chair David R. Barkley, Vice
Chair Ralph Berwanger.
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For further information, please contact:
Mr. Jean Kubler
Trade Division
United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
Palais des Nations, office 446
CH - 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland
Tel: (+41 22) 917 2774
Fax: (+41 22) 917 0037
E-mail: [email protected]
UN/EDIFACT homepage: http://www.edifact-wg.org
Ref: ECE/TRADE/01/13