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Technical assistance and capacity building
Technical assistance for trade facilitation is provided by the WTO, WTO members and other intergovernmental organizations, including the World Bank, the World Customs Organization and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). In July 2014, the WTO announced the launch of the Trade Facilitation Agreement Facility, which will assist developing and least-developed countries in implementing the WTO’s Trade Facilitation Agreement.
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This page aims to provide WTO members with an overview of technical assistance and capacity building activities in the area of trade facilitation.
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I. Technical assistance and capacity building provided by the WTO
Trade Facilitation Agreement Facility
The Trade Facilitation Agreement Facility, launched in July 2014, will help developing and least-developed countries reap the benefits of the WTO’s new Trade Facilitation Agreement, which was agreed at the Bali Ministerial Conference in December 2013. The Facility became operational when the Trade Facilitation Protocol was adopted by WTO members on 27 November 2014.
Needs assessments
Multimedia presentation on needs assessment
WTO Trade Facilitation National Needs Assessment 2012-2015
- Project description
- Notification form
- WTO Trade Facilitation Needs Assessment Guide
- Self Assessment Guide — Correlation Table
Preparation/administration
- Model agenda
- Model letter of invitation
- Instructions for coordinators/secretary
- Participant sign-in sheets
- Participant evaluations
Slideshow presentations
- The Trade Facilitation Agreement
- Trade facilitation self-assessment: Guide and process
- Final presentation of results template
Working group and final result materials
- Summary of Results — Excel Worksheet
- Working Group charts
- Working Group assigned proposals
- Consolidated charts
- Final summary report form
WTO Program for National Self-Assessments of Trade Facilitation Needs and Priorities 2007-2010
Presentations
- Delegate presentations on results of completed needs assessments
- Presentations from WTO workshops and informal sessions
Case studies
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II. Donors and assistance programmes
- Australia
- Canada
- European Union
- Japan
- United States
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III. Trade facilitation information and activities provided by other International Organizations
Asia-Pacific Research and Training Network on Trade — ARTNeT
Global Facilitation Partnership for Transportation and Trade — GFPTT
- Global Facilitation Partnership for Transportation and Trade
- GFPTT — WTO Negotiations on Facilitation
- GFPTT — Explanatory Notes
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development — OECD
Development Assistance Committee (DAC):
OECD Development Assistance Committee
Trade Committee:
Trade Facilitation
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development — UNCTAD
- UNCTAD main website
- Transport and Trade Logistics
- UNCTAD's Trade Facilitation website
- Technical Notes on Trade Facilitation
- Transport Newsletter (contains updated news related to Trade Facilitation issues and projects)
- UNCTAD's Technical Cooperation Portal (by Thematic Cluster):
- UNCTAD's ASYCUDA (A computerised system for processing customs documentation)
- Online Repository on Trade Facilitation Bodies around the world
- Review of Maritime Transport 2013
United Nations Economic Commission for Europe — UNECE
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United Nations
Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business (UN/CEFACT)
— UN/CEFACT List of Trade Facilitation Recommendations - United Nations electronic Trade Documents (UNeDocs)
- UNECE's trade development programme
- Workshops
- UNECE-UNESCAP Capacity building workshop on trade facilitation implementation for Asia and the Pacific Region on 17-18 March 2005 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
World Customs Organization — WCO
- Trade facilitation
- The 4 WCO packages
- Economic Competitiveness Package
- Organizational Development Package
- Preparation for the WTO Trade Facilitation Negotiations
- Revised Kyoto Convention
- Time Release Study
- WCO Data Model
- Coordinated Border Management
- Single Window Guidelines
- Globally Networked Customs
- WCO Customs Risk Management Compendium
- WCO Learning and Professionalism Programmes
- WCO Self-Assessment Checklist — TN/TF/W/16
- World Bank Negotiation Support Guide
- World Bank Trade Facilitation Training
- Needs and Priorites/Implementation Costs and Challenges Study (Interm Report) — Slide Presentation made at NGTF meeting July 26, 2006