United Nations Economic Commission for Europe

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Global Survey on Digital and Sustainable Trade Facilitation

Third Global Survey on Digital and Sustainable Trade Facilitation 2019

The United Nations Regional Commissions, including ECA, ECE, ECLAC, ESCAP and ESCWA, are conducting the Third Global Survey on Digital and Sustainable Trade Facilitation (formerly the Global Survey on Trade Facilitation and Paperless Trade Implementation) to collect relevant data and review progress of their respective member States. The initiative will support the implementation of the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Trade Facilitation Agreement, as well as emerging regional and global initiatives on paperless trade or e-trade.

Partnership with relevant UN and other relevant regional and sub-regional organizations, was key to the success for the first two Global Surveys and will be further strengthened for the Third Global Survey. Interested organizations, industry associations, academia, research institutes and other stakeholders, are very welcome to join the initiative.

The Survey will lead to the production of a Global Report and five Regional Reports, as well as new data entry for the Interactive Database of Global Survey, which aim at providing insightful information for policy makers to harness trade as a key means of implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It is envisaged that, whenever possible, the Reports will be presented at key events of international deliberation and policymaking, including the  Aid for Trade Global Review, 3-5 July 2019 at the WTO, Geneva.

This year, the Survey also strengthens the focus on Trade Facilitation for SMEs, Agricultural Trade Facilitation, Women in Trade Facilitation and Trade Finance for Trade Facilitation.

The Survey for 2019 is available online. We encourage stakeholders involved in trade facilitation to complete the survey or forward the survey to relevant experts.

The UNECE Regional Report and the Global Reports for 2017 and 2015 are available below. In addition, an interactive database of the results of the 2017 survey is also available at untfsurvey.org.

For additional information, please contact Ms. Maria Teresa Pisani at maria-teresa.pisani@un.org, +41 (0)22 917 4153 or Mr. Salehin Khan at khan.salehin@un.org, +41 (0)22 917 3227.

Second Global Survey on Trade Facilitation and Paperless Trade Implementation

The second Global Survey on Trade Facilitation and Paperless Trade Implementation has been carried out from February to July 2017. It has been jointly conducted by the United Nations Regional Commissions (UNRCs) namely ECA, ECE, ECLAC, ESCAP and ESCWA in collaboration with UNCTAD, OECD, ITC, OCO 

Building on the success of the first Global Survey of 2015, the second Global Survey aimed at collecting relevant data and information on trade facilitation and paperless trade implementation from their respective member States. The results of this initiative are expected to provide useful information to support the implementation of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement as well as emerging global and regional initiatives on paperless trade and e-trade.

The second survey results provide insights on relatively new topics on trade facilitation reforms for SMEs, access to trade facilitation services to women and trade facilitation for the agricultural sector.

The Global Report and the five Regional Reports, aim at providing insightful information for policy makers to harness trade as a key means of implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

First Global Survey on Trade Facilitation and Paperless Trade Implementation 2015

The United Nations Regional Comissions (UNRCs) including ECA, ECE, ECLAC, ESCAP and ESCWA, in collaboration with UNCTAD, OECD, ITC, OCO and SELA, have conducted a global survey to collect relevant data and information on trade facilitation and paperless trade implementation in their respective member states. Outcomes of the survey are expected to enable the countries to better understand and monitor progress in trade facilitation, support evidence-based policy-making, and highlight the needs for capacity building and technical assistance.

The global survey represents a key initiative  under the framework of the Joint UNRC Approach to Trade Facilitation, agreed upon in Beirut, January 2010 to enable the five UNRCs to present a joint global view on key trade facilitation issues. Survey questionnaire and process are available here while the survey results and data collected are available below.