Harmonization of national and regional trade data with international instruments is important part of trade facilitation and a vital precondition to ensure interoperability of trade data exchanged among countries, which operate e-Single Window facilities or any other electronic documentation systems. Since majority of the Asia-Pacific countries has already established or is planning to establish such facilities and systems, the topic is highly relevant in the context of this region.

The Workshop builds on the SPECA-ASEAN workshop held by UNESCAP in April 2007 which explained the relevance of data harmonization for international trade and economic development. It will enhance the capacities of the government and customs officials, trade facilitators, business and academic institutions representatives to identify opportunities for economic development through the implementation of electronic documents for export and import. It will comprise two parts:

Workshop segments:

The event has two segments:

(1) The Workshop will be held on 10-11 December 2007 to present – the “why” and the "what" – the tools which are available to implement international instruments for cross-border trade data harmonization , and thus cater for interoperability of data exchanged within e-Single Window facilities and paperless trade environments. The workshop will present the UNeDocs Extensions for electronic Customs Messages, developed jointly by UNECE and UNESCAP. This module complements the UNeDocs with electronic Customs documents based on best practice for Customs defined in the revised Kyoto Convention the Data Model of the World Customs Organization.

(2) The Technical Training will be held on 12-14 December 2007 to provide a group of technical experts from Customs with – the "how" – the skills to use the international standards and tools to harmonize at the national and subregional level. This hands-on training will train participants in using the UNeDocs Extensions for electronic Customs Messages, as a tool for simplification of global trade. It will also enable participants to develop electronic documents for their customs organizations. The e-documents will incorporate latest standards and best practice developed by the United Nations and the World Customs Organization and can be adapted to the specific needs and requirements of the countries.