Trade, Industry and Enterprise

The UN/ECE’s main activities in this field are trade facilitation, the development of trade, industry and enterprise, the development of standards and harmonization policies. The Committee for Trade, Industry and Enterprise Development, and its subsidiary bodies guide the UN/ECE’s work in this field.

Trade Facilitation

Trade facilitation aims to reduce costs that organizations incur while they exchange products, services and information. This is achieved through simplification, rationalization and, whenever possible, the elimination of unnecessary procedures, international harmonization of documents and standardization of transmitted data. Trade facilitation measures affect the collection, presentation, transfer and processing of data both in paper and electronic format.

In 1986, the UN/ECE launched UN/EDIFACT (Electronic Data Interchange for Administration, Commerce and Transport), a single international standard for electronic data interchange flexible enough to meet the needs of governments and private enterprise worldwide. UN/EDIFACT eliminates manual copying and entering of data, provides a common, "paperless" documentation and a single "language" which speeds up international trade transactions and cuts the costs.

The UN/ECE has recently enhanced its work on trade facilitation by creating a Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business (CEFACT). The Centre is a unique body within the United Nations system responsible for simplifying international trade procedures, harmonizing and standardizing information and documents and promoting best practices in trade facilitation worldwide.

With a view to eliminating technical obstacles to trade and to improving economic cooperation in the region, the UN/ECE also encourages the development, adoption and application of harmonized technical regulations and standards, as well as of conformity assessment procedures in member States.

The UN/ECE also harmonizes trade through its Working Party on the Standardization of Perishable Produce and Quality Development for a wide range of agricultural products, including fresh fruit and vegetables, eggs and egg products, meat and cut flowers. In this area, the UN/ECE works closely with the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

Development of Trade, Industry and Enterprise

The UN/ECE works at developing closer economic relations among its member States by recommending policies and supporting initiatives. In particular, it suggests ways and means of creating legal and administrative frameworks to foster enterprise development.

It assists member States in organizing seminars and workshops in a demand-driven manner, and responds to their requests for technical assistance and training programmes. Particular attention is paid to questions of legal reform and the elimination or reduction of technical barriers to trade. Expert groups assist transition economies in developing legal and financial institutions equipped to deal with private finance, which is a keystone of economic development.

Privatization and the break-up of large industrial complexes have made the development of private enterprise a priority concern in most member States. Expert groups under the guidance of the UN/ECE have formulated recommendations for what is best practice in privatization and restructuring, and the provision of financial aid to small and medium-sized enterprises and new entrepreneurs. These expert groups also carry out research and produce forecasts on market trends, sustainable development and competitiveness in basic industries.

Other major activities under this programme and groups of experts engaged in them include:

Working Party on International Legal and Commercial Practice (WP.5)

Prepares recommendations, guides, model contracts, provides advice on legal and institutional issues relating to economic reforms undertaken in the countries in transition. Its sub-activities include:

• Group of Experts on BOT (Build-Operate-Transfer) - BOT Group
• Real Estate Advisory Group (REAG)
• Advisory Group on the Protection and Implementation of Intellectual Property Rights for Investment (IPR Group)
• Expert Advisory Group to consider possible revision to the European Convention on International Commercial Arbitration of 1961.

Working Party on Technical Harmonization and Standardization Policies (WP.6)

Activities are aimed at eliminating unnecessary obstacles to trade through establishing more harmonized standardization principles and practices and agreed criteria, wider use of international standards and enhancing cooperation on technical harmonization issues.