Introduction
- The provisional agenda for the first session of the Centre for Facilitation
of Procedures and Practices for Administration, Commerce and Transport (CEFACT)
has been established in accordance with decisions taken by the Bureau of the
Working Party on Facilitation of International Trade Procedures.
- The provisional timetable presented below has been agreed upon by the
Bureau of the Working Party on Facilitation of International Trade Procedures for
the sessions of WP.4 Meetings of Experts and, if approved by the ECE, for the
first session of the Centre for Facilitation of Procedures and Practices for
Administration, Commerce and Transport (CEFACT). Because of the special nature
of this first session, this timetable is only indicative. The Report of the
first CEFACT session will be approved during the first half of the afternoon
session on Wednesday, 19 March 1997. It is expected that the experts of GE.1 and
GE.2 will have a joint session on legal issues in the afternoon of Thursday,
20 March 1997. The Reports of the sessions of GE.1 and GE.2, as well of their
joint session will be approved during the afternoon session on Friday, 21 March
1997.
a.m. p.m.
Monday 17 March 1997 CEFACT CEFACT
Tuesday 18 March 1997 CEFACT GE.2
Wednesday 19 March 1997 GE.2 CEFACT/GE.1
Thursday 20 March 1997 GE.1 GE.1/GE.2
Friday 21 March 1997 CEFACT Steering GE.1/GE.2
Group
- If approved by the ECE, the first CEFACT meeting will begin at 10:00 on
Monday, 17 March 1997 to nominate officers and discuss the migration to CEFACT as
well as outstanding WP.4 work items. During the meeting on 17 March, the WP.4
Bureau will report on the CDT and ECE decisions with regard to CEFACT and the
plans for migration of existing work. 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
- 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.4/198).
Item 2 - Establishment of CEFACT and dissolution of the Working Party on
Facilitation of International Trade Procedures (WP.4)
- Document TRADE/R.650 contains the final proposal from the WP.4
Bureau for the establishment of the Centre for Facilitation of Procedures
and Practices for Administration, Commerce and Transport, unanimously
approved during the September 1996 session of WP.4 as TRADE/WP.4/R.1234.
- At its forty-fifth session in December 1996, the Committee on the
Development of Trade unanimously supported the establishment of CEFACT and
recommended its earliest possible establishment to the ECE.
Item 3 - Election of CEFACT Officers
3.1 Election of CEFACT Plenary Officers
- In accordance with the Commission's Rules of procedures and the
recommendations for the establishment of CEFACT (contained in TRADE/R.650,
Recommendations for the Establishment of CEFACT) the meeting is expected to
elect a Chair and 5 Vice Chairs.
- The nominating committee established by WP.4 will present its
proposal for the nomination of CEFACT Plenary Officers. Delegations will be
informed of the committee's procedures and criteria for candidate
selection.
3.2 Election of CEFACT Steering Group Officers
- This agenda item will be chaired by the newly elected CEFACT
Chairman. He will announce the nominees, inform the delegates of the
nominating committee's procedures and criteria for candidate selection.
Item 4 - Adoption of interim CEFACT procedures
- It is proposed that the Plenary will adopt interim procedures based
on the current UN/ECE Rules of Procedures (TRADE/WP.4/R.1280)
- The Steering Group's interim procedures are outlined in TRADE/R.650
(paragraphs 28-31). It is proposed that these will be used until the
Steering Group establishes its formal procedures.
Item 5 - Programme of work
- The work programme (document TRADE/WP.4/R.1281) will concentrate on
work items for 1997 and future areas of development based on user
requirements.
Item 6 - Migration to CEFACT structures
6.1 Matters relating to the Meeting of Experts on Data Elements and
Automatic Data Interchange (GE.1)
- The Chairman of the Meeting of Experts will present a list of
migration issues faced by the Meeting for comments by delegations.
6.2 Matters relating to the Meeting of Experts on Procedures and
Documentation (GE.2)
- The Chairman of the Meeting of Experts will present a list of
migration issues faced by the Meeting for comments by delegations.
6.3 Matters relating to 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
- The Chairman of the joint session on legal matters of the Meetings of
Experts will present a list of migration issues faced by the joint session
for comments by delegations.
Item 7 - Other business
- At the time of writing, the secretariat has no points to propose
under this item.
- The Report of the first CEFACT session will be approved during the
first half of the afternoon session on Wednesday, 19 March 1997.
_____________
|
