Distr.
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TRADE/WP.4/196
17 June 1996


Original: ENGLISH

COMMITTEE ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF TRADE

Working Party on Facilitation of
International Trade Procedures
(Forty-fourth session, 16-20 September 1996)

* * *

EXPLANATORY NOTES TO THE PROVISIONAL AGENDA

Introduction

1. The provisional agenda for the forty-fourth session of the Working Party on Facilitation of International Trade Procedures has been established in accordance with decisions taken at its forty-third session.

2. The provisional timetable presented below has been agreed upon by the Bureau of the Working Party on Facilitation of International Trade Procedures for its forty-fourth session and for the sessions of its Meetings of Experts. It is expected that the experts of GE.1 and GE.2 will have a joint session on legal issues in the morning of 19 September 1996.

                                                         
                                           a. m.           p.m.
   
    Monday    16 September 1996      Informal meeting      GE.1 
    Tuesday   17 September 1996             GE.1           GE.1
    Wednesday 18 September 1996             GE.2           GE.2 
    Thursday  19 September 1996             GE.1/GE.2      WP.4
    Friday    20 September 1996             WP.4           WP.4
                   
   

3. The informal meeting of delegations will take place on Monday, 16 September 1996 starting at 10.00 and continuing until 13.00. During the meeting on 16 September 1996, the WP.4 Bureau will present the consolidated final report from the three ad hoc groups (for Programme Development, Centre Implementation and Empowerment) established to develop the plans and terms of reference necessary for the implementation of the Re-engineering proposal approved at the September 1995 WP.4 session. The WP.4 meeting beginning at 15.00 on 19 September 1996 will be to debate and discuss the same document. 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

4. In accordance with the Commission's Rules of Procedures, the first item on the provisional agenda is the adoption of the agenda (document TRADE/WP.4/196).

   Item 2 - Matters arising from the re-engineering process of the Working Party

5. Document TRADE/WP.4/R.1234 contains the final report from the WP.4 Bureau including the final reports from three ad hoc groups established at the September 1995 session to develop the plans and terms of reference necessary for the implementation of the Re-engineering proposal approved at the September 1995 WP.4 meeting.

   Item 3 - Trade facilitation and UN/EDIFACT in economies in transition

6. At its thirty-sixth session, the Working Party agreed to include this item in the agenda of its further sessions. Document TRADE/WP.4/R.899 represents an input of the secretariat on the subject. At the March 1996 session of the Working Party, delegations were invited to comment on measures to be taken in the field of trade facilitation to assist economies in transition.

   Item 4 - Matters arising from the fifty-third session of the Meeting of Experts on Data Elements and Automatic Data Interchange

7. The Chairman of the Meeting of Experts will present proposals forwarded by the Meeting to the Working Party for action.

   Item 5 - Matters arising from the fifty-fourth session of the Meeting of Experts on Procedures and Documentation

8. The Chairman of the Meeting of Experts will present proposals forwarded by the Meeting to the Working Party for action.

   Item 6 - Matters arising from the joint session on legal matters of the Meeting of Experts on Data Elements and Automatic Data Interchange and the Meeting of Experts on Procedures and Documentation

9. The Chairman of the joint session on legal matters of the Meetings of Experts will present proposals forwarded by the session to the Working Party for action.

   Item 7 - Cooperation with other international bodies and organizations

   (a) Inland Transport Committee

10. The secretariat will present a report on activities within the framework of the ECE Inland Transport Committee relevant to the facilitation of international trade procedures that have taken place since the forty-third session of the Working Party.

    (b) Intersecretariat Task Force

11. The secretariat will report on activities within the Intersecretariat Task Force on cooperation between ECE, UNCTAD and ITC in the field of Trade Facilitation.

    (b) Other international organizations

12. Other developments relevant to trade facilitation which might have occurred within international organizations could be reported under this item of the agenda.

    Item 8 - Recent progress at the national, regional or international levels

13. It is recalled that oral statements made at the sessions concerning recent progress should be supplemented by written contributions for reproduction and distribution.

    Item 9 - Programme and organization of work and priorities

14. In light of progress made since its twenty-eighth session (September 1989), when the current version of the Programme of work (Annex to document TRADE/WP.4/165) was approved, the Working Party agreed to further discuss this item on the basis of the proposals made by delegations. Documents TRADE/WP.4/R.946, TRADE/WP.4/R.899 and TRADE/WP.4/R.1000 and its Corr.1 are secretariat inputs on the subject.

    Item 10 - Other business

15. At the time of writing, the secretariat has no points to propose under this item.

    Item 11 - Adoption of the Report of the forty-fourth session

16. The Working party decided at its March 1996 session to issue its report after having received written comments from Heads of delegation. The report was issued subject to the clearance of the Working Party's Chairman.

17. It is proposed that the same procedure be adopted For the report of the September 1996 session. _____________