G/TFA/W/67  
 
12 October 2021  
(21-7685) Page: 1/17 
Committee on Trade Facilitation  Original: English  
 
  
REPORT BY  THE ITC AND  THE ANNEX D PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS  
TO THE  TRADE FACILITATION COMMITTEE  
19-21 October  2021 
FOREWORD  ................................ ................................ ................................ ......................  2 
GLOBAL ALLIANCE FOR TRADE FACILITATION  ................................ ................................ . 3 
INTERNATIONAL TRADE CENTRE (ITC)  ................................ ................................ ............  4 
ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO -OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT (OECD)  ................  7 
UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT (UNCTAD)  .....................  9 
WORLD BANK GROUP (WBG)  ................................ ................................ .........................  12 
WORLD CUSTOMS ORGANIZATION (WCO)  ................................ ................................ ..... 14 
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  FOREWORD  
The WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement Facility (TFAF) was created to help WTO developing and least 
developed country Members find the support they need to implement the Trade Facilitation 
Agreement (TFA). One of the ways that the TFAF fulfils this role is b y providing information on the 
TFA implementation support programs offered by partner organizations, the so -called "Annex D" 
organizations. This document, coordinated by the TFAF, provides updates on the TFA implementation 
support activities that are being  carried out by partner organizations. It is also available on the TFAF 
website.  G/TFA/W/67  
 
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GLOBAL ALLIANCE FOR TRADE FACILITATION  
1  BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF YOUR ORGANIZATION'S ROLE IN SUPPORTING 
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE TFA  
1.1.  The Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation is a public -private partnership for trade -led growth, 
supporting governments in developing and least -developed countries in implementing the World 
Trade Organization 's Trade Facilitation Agreement. Alliance projects cut through red tape and 
end costly delays at borders by bringing together governments and businesses of all sizes as 
equal partners to deliver targeted trade reforms.  
1.2.  By emphasizing digitilisation and delivering other best practices, Alliance projects enable 
businesses to trade mor e easily thanks to streamlined and more predictable processes. 
Governments save time and resources by modernising trade procedures while still safeguarding 
their borders. Ultimately, Alliance projects boost trade competitiveness and business conditions, 
which are key drivers of inclusive economic growth and poverty reduction.  
1.3.  The Alliance is led by the Center for International Private Enterprise, the International 
Chamber of Commerce, and the World Economic Forum, in cooperation with Gesellschaft für 
Intern ationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). It is funded by the governments of the United States, 
Canada, Germany, and Denmark.  
2  BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF ANY RECENT OR UPCOMING ASSISTANCE/ACTIVITIES (AND 
METHODS OF DELIVERY)  
2.1.  The Alliance currently has 25 active projects  to support implementation of the WTO Trade 
Facilitation Agreement. This includes four projects to support roll -out of the IPPC ePhyto Solution . 
In addition, the Alliance is scoping a dozen other projects across Africa, Latin America and Asia.  
3  HOW TO REQUEST ASSISTANCE  
3.1.  Please reach out to Yuri Saito: yuri.saito@weforum.org  
4  USEFUL  INFORMATION (LINKS TO WEBSITE, RESEARCH ARTICLES, ETC.).  
www.tradefacilitation.org  
  
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INTERNATIONAL TRADE CENTRE  (ITC)  
1  BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF YOUR ORGANIZATION'S ROLE IN SUPPORTING 
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE TFA  
1.1.  The International Trade Centre (ITC) offers a comprehensive range of trade facilitation 
services to its beneficiaries towards implementation of the TFA, factoring in the business 
perspective and with continuous engagement and coop eration between stakeholders at its core.  
1.2.  ITC provides support to public and private trade actors, including National Trade Facilitation 
Committees (NTFCs), to implement a wide range of TFA obligations, strengthening WTO 
Members ' national preparedness to operationalize the measures of the Agreement, and thus meet 
their WTO commitments. It does so by reviewing or supporting the establishment of the national 
legal framework enabling the implementation of the TFA measures, and by providing support to 
practica lly operationalize the measures with private sector 's involvement in the overall process.  
1.3.  ITC also assists beneficiary countries to request financial and technical assistance to achieve 
implementation of Category C commitments.  
2  BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF ANY R ECENT OR UPCOMING ASSISTANCE/ACTIVITIES  
2.1.  With technical assistance delivered in more than 20 countries in Asia, Africa, Oceania and 
the Middle East, ITC is keeping the momentum high for trade facilitation reforms, providing 
tailored advisory services and p ractical support for the implementation of TFA measures. 
Transparency, simplification and digitalization of border procedures are at the core of ITC 
assistance, advanced through an inclusive and consultative approach, and amplified as a 
response to COVID -19 disruptions.  
Building national dialogue and capacity to understand, implement and monitor the 
implementation of the TFA  
2.2.  ITC is supporting public and private stakeholders worldwide to build their capacity to 
understand TFA requirements and their ensuing b enefits, prioritize and sequence successfully for 
their implementation, and establish or strengthen National Trade Facilitation Committees (NTFCs) 
to stir the design, operationalization and monitoring of trade facilitation reforms.  
2.3.  In Nepal, ITC has recent ly supported the review of Category C commitments, identify needs 
and requirements for technical assistance, and notify indicative dates for their implementation to 
the WTO. In Jordan, ITC is supporting stakeholders to review and refine the implementation 
modalities of Category A commitments, whereas in Iraq and Uzbekistan, ITC is conducting a 
review of the national compliance with TFA requirements in preparation for accession to the WTO.  
2.4.  ITC is also supporting NTFCs – at all stages of maturity – to set up or strengthen their 
institutional set -up, operations and network (Article 23.2). ITC is notably assisting Uzbekistan 
and Iraq to establish their NTFC, Nepal to build consensus and initial capacity -building on NTFC 's 
organizational structure, mandate and op erations, Pakistan to revitalize its NTFC 's operations, 
and Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Burkina Faso and the Philippines to strengthen their NTFC 's 
performance and practices.  
2.5.  With a view to deepen regional integration, ITC is also fostering dialogue and capacity -
building on regional approaches to TFA implementation in the East African Community (EAC), 
supporting policymakers and stakeholders to harmonize trade facilitation reforms and targets at 
the regional economic community (REC) level (Article 24.5).  
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  Supporting the implementation of transparency measures of the TFA  
2.6.  ITC is augmenting its support to establish or enhance Trade Facilitation Portals (TFPs) in 
beneficiary countries, in collaboration with UNCTAD, with a view to boost implementation of the 
transparency measures (Article 1.1 and 1.2) enshrined in the TFA. TFPs are a digital solution 
serving as a one -stop-shop providing up -to-date information on export, import and transit 
procedures and formalities in an easily accessible manner.  
2.7.  In particular, I TC has successfully supported Burkina Faso and Burundi to launch their 
national TFP and is actively supporting Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, 
Afghanistan, Pakistan and Jordan to establish their TFP. ITC is also supporting Burundi, Burkin a 
Faso, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Tajikistan and Sri Lanka to update and enhance their 
TFP's features. In Tajikistan, ITC is also introducing the publication of the commentary to the 
Customs code (Article 1.1).   
Supporting the implementation of effi ciency measures of the TFA  
2.8.  In an effort to make customs procedures more efficient and predictable, ITC is providing 
technical assistance to establish or review the national legal and regulatory framework to 
implement selected TFA measures. In Niger and Jo rdan, ITC has been supporting policymakers 
to develop and operationalize the legal and regulatory framework to issue advance rulings (Article 
3), and piloted its implementation with the private sector. ITC has also recently supported 
Tajikistan 's Customs a dministration to introduce provisions in the Customs code allowing 
companies, which meet pre -defined criteria, to apply for the authorized operator (AO) status and 
benefit from a number of facilitative measures, as stipulated in Article 7.7. In the Philipp ines, ITC 
is working to enhance the AO scheme.  
2.9.  Complementarily, ITC is strengthening mechanisms for border agency cooperation (Article 
8) to apply more efficient controls and streamlined procedures. In Pakistan, ITC is developing a 
framework methodology f or border agency cooperation at Customs border stations. To make 
cross-border procedures faster and simpler, ITC is supporting the establishment of an integrated 
risk management system in line with Article 7.4, the implementation of a pre -arrival processin g 
(Article 7.1) system, the publication of average release times (Article 7.6), the acceptance of 
copies (Article 10.2) and the enhancement of the advance rulings (Article 3) and post -clearance 
audit (Article 7.5) systems in a number of countries, includin g Jordan, Pakistan and the 
Philippines.  
2.10.  ITC is also supporting the simplification and digitalization of border procedure and trade 
formalities. Using TFPs tools through national and regional partnerships, ITC is building capacity 
to harmonize and simplify  trade formalities in the spirit of Article 10.1 of the TFA, such as in Sri 
Lanka, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan and Burkina Faso. ITC is also 
working in Sri Lanka to implement the automated processing and electronic issuance of 
certificates of origin, to curb unnecessary delays and costs for micro, small and medium 
enterprises (MSMEs).  
2.11.  ITC is also working with Customs administrations in Central Asia to support gender -
responsive trade facilitation reforms, in particular through  trainings of border officials and women 
traders. These trainings allow trade policymakers, Customs officers and border officials to 
understand why facilitating trade for women is important, while highlighting constraints that 
women face when engaging in i nternational trade.  
Enhancing business capacity to benefit from TFA and strengthening compliance with 
international trade procedures  
2.12.  ITC directly assists businesses, in particular MSMEs, to enhance their regulatory 
compliance with trade formalities and pr ocedures, and ensure that they can benefit from a 
meaningful implementation of the TFA – including through e -learning courses on the TFA, on -site 
coaching and advocacy support.  G/TFA/W/67  
 
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  2.13.  ITC is delivering on -the-job coaching and advisory services to SMEs to improve  their 
compliance level with cross -border management requirements, and cut the time and cost of doing 
business.  
2.14.  ITC is also strengthened private sector and trade -support institutions (TSIs) ' capacity to 
advocate for effective policy and sectoral trade fac ilitation reforms at the national and regional 
level, notably in the EAC region, as well as their representation in the NTFC to cater for 
businesses ' needs in the reform process.  
3  HOW TO REQUEST ASSISTANCE  
3.1.  ITC is delivering its technical assistance on TFA implementation in the context of multi -
annual trade -related projects that are being implemented in specific countries and regions. The 
portfolio of trade facilitation services provided to beneficiary clients is hence pre -determined 
under the framework of these country -specific or region -specific trade facilitation technical 
assistance programmes. Nonetheless, with the support of additional funding, ITC can further 
assist clients to capitalize on the implementation of the TFA.  
4  YOUR CONTACT POINT AT ITC  
4.1.  Interested WTO members and development partners may contact Dr. Mohammad Saeed, 
Senior Trade Facilitation Officer, at saeed@intracen.org , +41227300126, to receive further 
information on the ITC Trade F acilitation Programme ' portfolio of services and technical 
assistance  
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ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO -OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT (OECD)  
1  BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF YOUR ORGANIZATION'S ROLE IN SUPPORTING 
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE TFA  
1.1.  The Organisation for Economic C o-operation and Development (OECD) is an international 
organization working to promote policies that will improve the economic and social well -being of 
people around the world. The OECD provides a knowledge hub for data and analysis and a unique 
forum in w hich governments can work together to share experiences, best practices and seek 
solutions to common problems.  
1.2.  To help governments improve their border procedures, reduce trade costs, boost trade flows 
and reap greater benefits from international trade, th e OECD has developed a set of Trade 
Facilitation Indicators (TFIs) that identify areas for action and enable the potential impact of 
reforms to be assessed: https://www.oecd.org/trade/to pics/trade -facilitation/ . The OECD TFIs 
are strongly linked to the policy areas covered by the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement. The 
indicators thus cover the full spectrum of border procedures for more than 160 economies across 
different income levels, ge ographical regions, and levels of development. Each TFI is composed 
of several specific, precise and fact -based variables on existing trade -related policies and 
regulations and their implementation in practice. The OECD TFIs allow countries to identify the ir 
strengths and weaknesses in trade facilitation, prioritize areas for action, and mobilize technical 
assistance and capacity building in a more targeted way. The TFIs not only measure the actual 
extent to which countries have introduced and implemented t rade facilitation measures in 
absolute terms, but also their performance relative to others, using a series of quantitative 
measures on key areas of the border process.  
1.3.  The TFIs have been used for a wide range of empirical analyses, assessing among others 
the impacts of trade facilitation reforms on trade costs, trade flows in various goods sectors (e.g. 
agro-food, pharmaceutical and chemicals, machinery and other manufacturing goods), trade in 
small parcels, and participation of MSMEs in international trad e as exporters and importers.  
1.4.  Donor support (i.e. ODA and OOF) for trade facilitation programmes are recorded in the 
OECD Creditor Reporting System (CRS) under the heading 'trade facilitation': 
https://stats.oe cd.org/qwids/ . 
2  BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF ANY RECENT OR UPCOMING ASSISTANCE/ACTIVITIES (AND 
METHODS OF DELIVERY)  
OECD COVID -19 Policy Responses Hub  
2.1.  COVID -19 issues have continued to be mainstreamed under different areas of the OECD's 
work, including trade facili tation. Several policy -relevant and timely analyses on trade facilitation 
issues were released on the OECD COVID -19 Policy Responses Hub: 
https://www.oecd.org/coronavirus/en/ . 
OECD Trade Facilitation Indicators (TFIs) visualization tools  
2.2.  The OECD TFIs latest data can be accessed through the Compare your Country tool, which 
allows to explore the performance of various countries or groups of countries as well as to 
visualize worldwide progre ss across specific trade facilitation areas. The Policy Simulator tool 
allows to discover the key measures driving the performance of a selected country in a specific 
indicator and simulate the effects of potential policy reforms on the overall performance . 
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  OECD TFIs 2021 -22 update cycle  
2.3.  The data underpinning the OECD TFIs are updated every two years, which allows countries 
to monitor their progress since 2013, when the project was first launched, and key challenges. 
The data collection, factual check and p rocessing of information for the 2021 -22 update will be 
undertaken until the first quarter of 2022, with a view to release the updated series in the second 
quarter of 2022. The report accompanying the update will have a special focus on international 
co-operation through mechanisms of border agency co -operation, also covering relevant 
developments during the COVID -19 pandemic.  
3  HOW TO REQUEST ASSISTANCE  
3.1.  Any enquiries regarding the OECD work on trade facilitation and the OECD Trade Facilitation 
Indicators can be directed to: Ms. Silvia Sorescu, Emerging Policy Issues Division, Trade and 
Agriculture Directorate ( silvia.sorescu@oecd.org ). 
4  USEFUL INFORMATION (LINKS TO WEBSITE, RESEARCH ARTICLES, ETC.)  
4.1.  OECD Trade Facilitation Indicators visualization tools: Compare your Country 
https://www.compareyourcountry.org/trade -facilitation  and Policy Simulator  
https://sim.oecd.org/default.ashx?ds=TFI . 
4.2.  Trade in the time of parcels  (https://www.oecd -ilibrary.org/trade/trade -in-the-time-of-
parcels_0faa c348-en) shows that progress on digital connectivity and trade facilitation measures, 
such as increased transparency or automating border processes, are likely to have a greater 
trade-enhancing impact on parcels trade than on "traditional " trade.  
4.3.  Trade fac ilitation in perishable agro -food products: A feasibility study for addressing at -the-
border challenges  (https://one.oecd.org/document/TAD/TC/WP(2020)16/FINAL/en/pdf)  
provides a feasibility assessment that analyses how a new sub -set of OECD Trade Facilitation 
Indicators (TFIs) could be used for a more complete picture of the current performance of border 
processes for perishable agro -food goods.  
4.4.  Using trade to fight COVID -19: Manu facturing and distributing vaccines  
(https://www.oecd.org/coronavirus/policy -responses/using -trade -to-fight-covid-19-
manufacturing -and-distributing -vaccines -dc0d37fc/ ) discusses trade and policy considerations 
underpinning access to the final and intermediate goods needed to effectively produce, deliver 
and administer COVID -19 vaccines.  
4.5.  Getting goods across border s in times of COVID -19 
(https://www.oecd.org/coronavirus/policy -responses/getting -goods -across -borders -in-times -of-
covid-19-972ada 7a/) provides insights into the evolution of new border protocols and trade 
facilitation measures impacting trade during the COVID -19 pandemic, exploring areas for action 
that can enhance resilience as uncertainty persists.  
4.6.  Digital opportunities for Sanita ry and Phytosanitary (SPS) systems and the trade facilitation 
effects of SPS electronic certification ( https://www.oecd -ilibrary.org/agriculture -and-
food/digital -opportunities -for-sanitary -and-phytosanitary -sps-systems -and-the-trade-
facilitation -effects -of-sps-electronic -certification_cbb7d0f6 -en ) assesses the effects of the use of 
electronic SPS certificates on agro -food trade, as well as the challenges and policy implications 
for a more successful adoption of such digital technologies for facilitating trade  
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UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON TRADE A ND DEVELOPMENT  (UNCTAD)  
1  BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF YOUR ORGANIZATION'S ROLE IN SUPPORTING 
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE TFA  
1.1.  UNCTAD provides a broad range of technical assistance and capacity building act ivities 
in the field of trade facilitation, including a) Elaboration of trade facilitation road maps, 
implementation plans and needs assessments, b) assistance with the ratification, categorization and 
notification of WTO TFA obligations; c) Development of  project proposals and plans; and d) Advisory 
services in all fields of trade, transit and transport facilitation reforms.  
1.2.  UNCTAD also delivers targeted and specialized training and support to national trade 
facilitation committees through the UNCTAD Empo werment Program , comprising Monitoring 
and evaluation support of trade facilitation initiatives; Physical and online capacity -building and 
technical assistance on trade facilitation reforms; as well as assistance with the implementation of 
trade facilitati on measures.  
1.3.  UNCTAD has launched a web -based project management and monitoring tool for 
implementation of trade facilitation reforms, the so -called Reform Tracker . The tool is 
presently being implemented with more than 19 countries. Please contact UNCTAD f or additional 
information.  
1.4.  UNCTAD provides a specialized training module on transit collaboration and transit 
coordinators toward the implementation of WTO TFA Articles 11.16 and 17 on . The training 
is predominantly provided on regional or sub -regional ba sis to appointed or designated transit 
coordinators. Interested countries can approach UNCTAD for support to roll -out this program.  
1.5.  UNCTAD provides support in the field of transparency and simplification  through the 
dedicated UNCTAD Trade Information Porta l initiative with a view to fullfil the obtigations of TFA Art. 
1.2 
1.6.  UNCTAD offers extensive assistance world -wide in the field of Customs and trade 
automation  through the  Automated System for Customs Data (ASYCUDA) program. UNCTAD also 
support the implemen tation of Single Window solutions, including legal assessments and creating 
the necessary legal frameworks.  
1.7.  Please visit the UNCTAD Trade Logistics , Trade Facilitation , ASYCUDA  and Trade Information 
Portals  web sites as indicated below.  
2  BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF ANY RECENT OR UPCOMING ASSISTANCE/ACTIVITIES (AND 
METHODS OF DELIVERY)  
2.1.  UNCTAD set up an on-line training platform  to support trade facilitation 
implementation , in particular for national trade facilitation committees, available in English, 
French, Sp anish and Portuguese. Please see link below. Participants benefits from a blended 
approach including self -paced training modules mixed with interactive webinars with experts over 
the world.  
2.2.  UNCTAD recently launched an online course on Gender perspectives on Trade Facilitation  
Reforms in English and soon available in French and Spanish. Interested countries can approach 
UNCTAD for support to roll -out this program, which is constantly working on new courses.  
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  2.3.  UNCTAD recently organized the first meeting for Re form Tracker country managers , 
"Managing the Trade Facilitation Reform Tracker: Best practices sharing and lessons learned for 
administrators " with presentations from several user countries and subsequent discussions on 
features of the tool.  
2.4.  UNCTAD revampe d the on-line database on trade facilitation committees around the 
world . Please see the link below. The data base provides information about more than 120 NTFCs 
around the world. UNCTAD is continuously adding new information about NTFCs to the platform 
based on information received from countries. Countries are encouraged to update information about 
their NTFCs or add information about their NTFCs in cases where this is miss ing. 
2.5.  In relation to the COVID -19 pandemic, UNCTAD is providing support  to interested 
countries, including through collaboration with UN Regional Commissions. See link below.  
2.6.  Countries that have adopted the UNCTAD trade information portals  have in connectio n with 
the COVID -19 pandemic all been offered include dedicated COVID -19 information on their portals. 
This approach has been adopted widely amongst almost all users of the UNCTAD portals. Please 
refer to the link below.  
2.7.  UNCTAD has launched a Rapid Scan me thodology, assessing the preparedness of 
countries of crisis management in the field of trade facilitation . These assessments also 
provide local capacity building. Interested countries can approach UNCTAD for support to roll -out 
this program.  
2.8.  In February 2020, UNCTAD published the third volume of our recurrent study on National 
Trade Fac ilitation Committees : National Trade Facilitation Committees as coordinators of trade 
facilitation reform . See link below.  
2.9.  UNCTAD has organized several regional Transit coordinator training workshops, inter alia in 
Central Africa and Central Asia.  
2.10.  In general, the UNCTAD ASYCUDA program for Customs and Trade Automation  
provides a host of automation options in relation to imple mentation of Customs and trade facilitation, 
also including Single Window solutions.  Please see link below. UNCTAD's ASYCUDA program has in 
connection with COVID -19 published a guide on: Adapting the use of ASYCUDA World to the COVID 
-19 Situation.  
2.11.  WTO req uested technical assistance from ASYCUDA to develop a tool that automates 
recurring trade data notifications  from Member States using ASYCUDAWorld. The solution is 
called ASYADN.  
2.12.  The German Corporation for International Cooperation (GiZ) is currently coll aborating with 
ASYCUDA on the development and implementation of ASYHUB, a standardized data integration 
platform between external systems and ASYCUDAWorld . It aims to facilitate data exchange 
among these systems.  
3  HOW TO REQUEST ASSISTANCE  
3.1.  For Trade Facilit ation, trade portals etc.  
Mr. Poul Hansen, Chief, Trade Facilitation Section  
Palais des Nations  
1211 Geneva, Switzerland  
Telephone: +41 22 917 32 58 or +41 79 4444 366  
E-Mail: poul.hansen@unctad.org  or tfs@unctad.org  
 
3.2.  For ASYCUDA  
Mr. Fabrice Millet  
Palais des Nations  
1211 Geneva, Switzerland  
Telephone: +41 22 917 20 59  
E-Mail: fabrice.millet@unctad.org  G/TFA/W/67  
 
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  4  USEFUL INFORMATION (LINKS TO WEBSITE, RESEARCH ARTICLES, ETC.)  
UNCTAD Websites  
4.1.  UNCTAD web site on Trade Logistics https://unctad.org/topic/transport -and-trade-logistics  and 
Trade Facilitati on https://unctad.org/topic/transport -and-trade-logistics/trade -facilitation  
4.2.  UNCTAD ASYCUDA Program https://unctad.org/topic/transport -and-trade-logistics/customs -
automation -ASYCUDA  
4.3.  UNCTAD Online -database of Trade Facilitation Committees around the world 
https://unctad.org/topic/transport -and-trade-logistics/trade -facilitation/national -trade-facilitation -
bodies/map  
4.4.  UNCTAD Trade Facilitation E -learning platform (the details of the platform is passw ord 
protected for participating NTFCs) https://tfelearning.unctad.org/  
4.5.  UNCTAD Trade Information Portal Website http://tradeportal.eregulations.org/?l= en 
4.6.  UNCTAD COVID -19 response https://unctad.org/programme/covid -19-response  
4.7.  UNCTAD ASYCUDA COVID -19 response https://unctad.org/webflyer/adapting -use-asycuda -
world -covid-19-situation  
Videos  
4.8.  UNCTAD e -Learning Platform for National Trade Facilitation Committees https://youtu.be/5b -
5DW5bCFM  
4.9.  Delivering UNCTAD Course on Gender Perspectives in Trade Facilitation Reforms in Africa 
https://youtu.be/F825bXfE_FU  
4.10.  UNCTAD Reform Tracker https://unctad.org/topic/transport -and-trade-logistics/trade -
facilitation/reform -tracker  
4.11.  UNCTAD Empowerment Programme for National Trade Facilitation  Bodies 
https://youtu.be/NZLI_2LGolQ  
Studies and articles  
4.12.  National Trade Facilitation Committees as coordinators of trade facilitation reform 
https://unctad.org/system/files/official -document/dtltlb2020d1_en.pdf  
4.13.  UNCTAD Transport and Trade Facilitation Newsletter https://unctad.org/topic/transport -and-
trade-logistics/transport -newsletter  
4.14.  ASYCUDA Newsletter https://unctad.org/system/files/official -
document/dtlasycudainf2021d1_en.pdf  
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WORLD BANK GROUP  (WBG)  
1  BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF YOUR ORGANIZATION'S ROLE IN SUPPORTING 
IMPLEMENTAT ION OF THE TFA  
1.1.  The WBG is the one of the largest multilateral providers of financial and technical assistance 
support for trade facilitation, and the TFA provides the framework for the WBG's trade facilitation 
support to more than 70 countries. The WBG wor ks closely with the WTO, and other partners 
(including Annex D) and donors, in supporting developing and least developed countries in TFA 
implementation. WBG support on trade facilitation is implemented through a mix of technical 
assistance, investment len ding and policy development operations.  
1.2.  The WBG provides global TFA implementation support through two flagship trust fund 
programs; (i) the Trade Facilitation Support Program (47+ countries & supported by Australia, 
Canada, the European Union, the Netherl ands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom 
and the United States); and (ii) the Trade Facilitation Programme in Middle Income Countries (5 
countries & supported by the UK).  
1.3.  The WBG assists countries to identify existing constraints and bottlenec ks to cross -border 
trade; design and plan for the implementation of reforms; support the sustainability of public private 
dialogue mechanisms and increase the predictability, transparency, and harmonization of systems 
and procedures in line with internatio nal standards covering import, export, and transit activities. 
The WBG focuses on supporting the full and effective implementation of the WTO TFA and related 
trade facilitation reforms, these programs are designed to provide practical and demand -driven 
assistance.  
1.4.  Recognizing the important roles of both the public and private sectors in trade facilitation, the 
World Bank Group implements support by drawing on the unique expertise of both the World Bank,  
the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and partn erships with other Annex D organizations.  
2  BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF ANY RECENT OR UPCOMING ASSISTANCE/ACTIVITIES (AND 
METHODS OF  DELIVERY)  
2.1.  The duration of the COVID -19 pandemic remains uncertain; and as countries continue to fight 
the spread of the disease and begin towards recovery, continuing to maintain trade flows as much 
as possible is crucial to limit the negative impacts of the pandemic on human health and the 
economy. The WBG is focusing support to countries on implementing paperless and automated 
system s, transparent access to information for traders, streamlining of customs and border agency 
procedures, harmonization of processes to limit the impact of the pandemic and implementation of 
special regimes for the import, export and transit of the COVID -19 Vaccines and ancillary medical 
products.  Enhanced focus has been placed on women -led firms in cross -border trade and sex -
disaggregated data collection to inform the design of future trade facilitation projects.  With the 
spread of COVID -19, the WBG has main tained flexibility and pivoted its activities to virtual modalities 
to support business continuity in ongoing and planned projects, as well as to provide guidance to 
countries on best trade facilitation practices to respond to COVID -19.  
2.2.  The WBG continues excellent cooperation and coordination with TFAF to ensure 
complementarity of activities. The WBG and TFAF jointly hosted a session with the LDC Group at the 
Aid for Trade Stock -take focused on the TFA and COVID -19 recovery. As COVID -19 recovery 
continues,  the WBG will looks forward to leveraging the critical focus on TFA implementation in 
coordination with TFAF, TFSP donors and WTO Members.  
2.3.  Examples of WBG knowledge products providing guidance in addressing key challenges related 
to the pandemic include:  
G/TFA/W/67  
 
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  Video:  
• Managing Risk and Facilitating Trade During COVID -19 
https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/video/2020/06/22/managing -risk-and-facilitating -
trade-during -covid-19 
Guidance Notes:  
• Managing Risk and Facilitating Trade During COVID -19 
http://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/ en/751981585606039541/pdf/Trade -and-
COVID -19-Guidance -Note-Managing -Risk-and-Facilitating -Trade -in-the-COVID -19-
Pandemic.pdf  
• Best Practices of Border Processes and Procedures  
http://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/824081587487261551/pdf/Trade -and-
COVID -19-Guidance -Note-Trade -Facilitation -Best-Practices -Implemented -in-Response -to-
the-COVID -19-Pandemic.pdf  
 
• Recomendaciones sobre mejores prácticas en facilitación de comercio para Centroamérica 
como resultado de covid -19  
 
Examples of country -level technical assistance scaled up during this crisis include:  
• Virtual and in -country support to National Trade Facilitation Committees (NTFC).  
• Virtual support to enhance border agency cooperation and operations to facilitate import of 
critical supplies (including food and medical items).  
• Virtual and in -country guidance on increasi ng the availability of trade -related information on 
websites and through enquiry points.  
• Virtual and in -country support to increase the application of risk management.  
• Virtual advice to specific countries on business continuity and protection of front -line officers.  
 
3  HOW TO REQUEST ASSISTANCE  
3.1.  To receive support, countries are expected to have demonstrated a strong commitment to 
implementing trade facilitation reforms. The trust funds prioritize assistance to countries with limited 
access to other donor support. Requests for assistance can be made directly to Mr. Bill Gain, Global 
Lead for Trade Facilitation ( wgain@ifc.org ), World Bank Group offices or donor partners.  
4  USEFUL INFORMATION (LINKS TO WEBSITE, RESEARC H ARTICLES, ETC.)  
• World Bank Group TFSP webpage  
https://www.worldbank.org/en/programs/trade -facilitation -support -program  
 
• WBG Trade and COVID -19 Resources Webpage  
https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/trade/brief/trade -and-covid-19 
 
  G/TFA/W/67  
 
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WORLD CUSTOMS ORGANIZATION  (WCO)  
1  BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF YOUR ORGAN IZATION'S ROLE IN SUPPORTING 
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE TFA  
1.1.  The World Customs Organization (WCO) is the only intergovernmental organization dealing 
with Customs matters. It provides TFA support to its Members through its Mercator Programme 
launched in June 2014 . The Mercator Programme follows a dual -track approach that is comprised 
of overall and tailor -made tracks, allowing the WCO to respond to important cross -cutting, as 
well as country specific challenges to TFA implementation. The Mercator Programme is a un ique 
initiative that allows for uniform implementation by applying WCO instruments and tools and is 
supported by the practical experiences of the global Customs community. It has been evolving 
to address the needs and requirements of the Membership, includ ing those arising from the 
challenges faced by the COVID -19 pandemic.  
2  BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF ANY RECENT OR UPCOMING ASSISTANCE/ACTIVITIES (AND 
METHODS OF DELIVERY)  
Overall track of the Mercator Programme  
2.1.  A number of tools and guidance materials have been completed by June 2021:  
• WCO Guidelines on Disaster Management and Supply Chain Continuity;  
• 2nd Edition of the Compendium of Case Studies on E -Commerce;  
• Secretariat note on expanding the concept of Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) to cross -
border e -commer ce; 
• Comprehensive Capacity Building Framework for Data Analytics in Customs;  
• Authorized Economic Operators (AEO) Implementation and Validation Guidance;  
• 2021 SAFE Framework of Standards;  
• Regional Customs union AEO programmes and plurilateral MRAs;  
• Secreta riat note on effective and efficient revenue collection in cross -border e -commerce;  
• The revision of WCO Customs Risk Management Compendium (Volume 1);  
• Risk Management Maturity Model;  
• Risk Management Diagnostic Tool;  
• Customs Risk Management during a pandem ic. 
 
2.2.  The following guidance tools and materials are under development:  
• Online AEO Compendium;  
• Review of the Risk Management Compendium (Volume 2);  
• Railway Guidance;  
• 3rd edition of the Compendium of Case Studies on E -Commerce;  
• Work is ongoing on the periodi c review of the WCO E -Commerce Package;  
• Update of the Diagnostic Tool on PCA and Infrastructure;  
• Update of the How to audit typology.   
 
2.3.  Based on the results received from Members through the WCO 's Annual Consolidated Survey 
and a new Chapter 5 of the Survey on National Committees on Trade Facilitation, a Secretariat 
Note on the current state of play in WCO Members in this area, including in particular during the 
COVID -19 pandemic, will be published at the end of October 2021, as a supplementary documen t 
to the WCO Guidance on NCTFs.  
2.4.  As a continuation of the efforts deployed in order to pool good practices and experiences on 
implementation of advance rulings, the WCO launched an online survey to collect information 
about the practices of WCO Members that  will be used in the update of the Technical Guidelines 
on advance rulings for classification, origin and valuation (June 2015), in particular in regards to 
G/TFA/W/67  
 
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  the time periods at the various stages governing this mechanism, such as the periods for 
issuance, admissibility, review or appeal. In addition, a "post-implementation " diagnostic tool of 
the advance rulings mechanism will be implemented, which will allow administrations to assess 
whether their national legislation complies with the requirements of Arti cle 3 of the TFA.  
2.5.  A paper "Customs Use of Advanced Technologies to Facilitate and Secure Cross -Border 
Trade " was developed jointly with the WTO using the results from the WCO 's Annual Consolidated 
Survey. The paper provides insights on the implementation s tate of play by Customs for the 
following three groups of technologies: 1. Blockchain/distributed ledger technology; 2. Internet 
of things; and 3. Big data, data analytics, artificial intelligence and machine learning. Its findings 
will also be used to upd ate the WCO Study Report on Disruptive Technologies, which will be 
undertaken in cooperation with the WTO.  
2.6.  During the current financial year, national and regional workshops continue in the areas of 
TFA, e -commerce, performance measurement, risk management , data analytics, post -clearance 
audit, advance rulings, COVID -19, disruptive technologies, free zones, and in many other areas.  
Tailor -made track of the Mercator Programme  
2.7.  As the global pandemic continues, the WCO has remained responsive and proactive to the 
TFA implementation needs of its Members and has continued to provide effective technical 
support and capacity building assistance through the now established virtual del ivery approach.  
2.8.  Since April 2021, with the assistance of Member Experts, over 70 on -line support activities 
have been successfully delivered and many more are planned for later in 2021.  Almost 50 of 
these activities were delivered under the multi -year (MY ) Mercator operating model that is based 
on medium to long -term engagements and employs a project -based approach.  The WCO 
currently has 57 Customs administrations benefiting from MY Mercator partnerships.  
2.9.  Delivered activities have included several Mercator  diagnostic assessments and strategic 
planning support missions along with activities closely associated with specific Articles of the TFA 
including, post -clearance audit, risk management, time release study, amongst others.  
2.10.  Throughout the period, on -line engagements with many MY Mercator beneficiaries has 
seen work to review Implementation Plans, provide implementation status updates and the 
completion of Maturity Model assessments that provide an important baseline against which 
future TFA implementation  progress and maturity can be measured and reported.  
2.11.  Work also continues on updating the Mercator Programme Advisor (MPA) Handbook that 
provides detailed guidance to WCO Experts conducting both virtual and physical strategic support 
missions on behalf of the WCO, along with work to refresh the MPA Forum on the WCO CLiKC! e -
learning platform.  
COVID -19 related work  
2.12.  Work related to the COVID -19 pandemic and the implementation of a dedicated WCO 's 
Action Plan remained a priority in the period since the last u pdate to the WTO Trade Facilitation 
Committee in April 2021.  
2.13.  In June 2021, the WCO adopted the Guidelines on Disaster Management and Supply Chain 
Continuity that were developed under the COVID -19 project funded by the Government of Japan. 
The Guidelines c ontinue to be updated. Since April 2021, the WCO completed the first round of 
regional online workshops and organized three national online workshops to assist Madagascar, 
Benin and Guatemala in drafting Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to facilitate t he 
importation and clearance of relief and emergency goods. The COVID -19 Project will deliver 
additional capacity -building activities at the sub -regional and national level. By the end of this 
year, two additional workshops will be organized, one for Pacif ic islands in collaboration with the 
Oceania Customs Organization (OCO) and one for the Central American Integration System 
(SICA) Members.  Several workshops will be organized at the national level for Members having 
requested the Project 's support, such a s Cameroon, Angola, etc.  G/TFA/W/67  
 
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  2.14.  In April 2021, the WCO Secretariat joined the newly established Working Group on Free 
Flow of Goods under the Supply Chain and Manufacturing Taskforce of the COVID -19 Vaccines 
Global Access (COVAX) initiative. The Working Group has  been working towards identifying and 
helping to address supply chain challenges and bottlenecks related to the efforts to scale up 
COVID -19 vaccines manufacturing.  
2.15.  The WCO contributed to the development of the Joint Indicative List of Critical COVID -19 
Vaccine Inputs . The list was produced jointly by the WTO, WCO, the Asian Development Bank, 
the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), some COVID -19 vaccine 
manufacturers, researchers, CEPI and DHL. The Joint Indicative List is aimed at providing 
consolidated information on the critical inputs for manufacturing, storage, distribution and 
administering of COVID -19 vaccines with a view to improving t he monitoring and facilitation of 
the cross -border movement of these inputs and components. The list contains the likely 
classification of critical vaccine inputs as per the 2017 version of the Harmonized System (HS), 
along with the description of each pro duct, and the names of the vaccines that use the product. 
The list of COVID -19 vaccine inputs has been requested by the trade and pharmaceutical 
community as well as governments, and is expected to assist in identifying and monitoring the 
cross-border move ment of the critical vaccine inputs.  
2.16.  The need for facilitating the cross -border movement of the vaccine manufacturing inputs 
and components has been stressed also in the 2nd edition of the Secretariat Note on the Role of 
Customs in facilitating and securing the cross -border movement of situationally critical medicines 
and v accines  published by the WCO on 28 May 2021.  
2.17.  While facilitating legitimate trade and in the framework of its COVID -19 Action Plan, the 
WCO and 146 Members  launched, on 30 April 2021 , the coordinated Customs Operation, STOP II, 
that aims to intercept, seize  and destroy cross -border consignments of illicit vaccines, medicines 
and medical supplies linked to COVID -19 with the support of 11 WCO Regional Intelligence Liaison 
Offices (RILO), international organizations (Europol, INTERPOL, OLAF, UNODC and WHO) and 
some private sector actors. Several activities were carried out under this Operation to limit the 
spread of illicit vaccines around the world through activities such as the Global Webinars on 
COVID -19 vaccines with Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Johnson & J ohnson and SINOPHARM. The 
16 webinars, which brought together nearly 2000 participants in total, focused on the essential 
specifications of COVID -19 vaccines as well as details of their distribution patterns, the aim being 
to make Customs better equipped t o identify counterfeit or sub -standard COVID -19 vaccines at 
borders.  
Past and upcoming events  
2.18.  Since April, the WCO organized the 5th WCO Global AEO Conference (25 -27 May 2021)  
and the Second Global Conference on Cross -Border E -Commerce (28 -29 June 2021) , the 
Knowledge Academy for Customs and Trade (29 June – 3 July 2021) , as well as a series of 
webinars on COVID -19 vaccines. It is currently in the process of organizing the 2021 WCO TECH -
CON (10 -11 November 2021)  and the 16th Annual PICARD Conference (9 -10 December 2021) . 
All information on WCO events can be found at a dedicated Events web page .  
3  HOW TO REQUEST ASSISTANCE  
3.1.  WCO Capacity Building delivery is based on multi -year project planning as well as on the 
annual Cap acity Building needs assessment carried out by the Secretariat together with Member 
Customs administrations and supported by the Regional Offices for Capacity Building (ROCBs).   
3.2.  However, in addition to this needs assessment process, developing countries an d LDCs may 
submit their requests for assistance to the WCO Capacity Building Directorate 
(capacity.building@wcoomd.org ) at any time.  
3.3.  Interested development partners and donor institutions may contact the  WCO Office of 
External Relations ( external.relations@wcoomd.org ) with regard to further cooperation, including 
financial support for technical assistance and capacity building projects.  G/TFA/W/67  
 
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  4  USEFUL INFORMATION (LINKS TO WEBSITE, RESEARCH ARTICLES, ETC.)  
WCO web site: www.wcoomd.org  
 
Mercator Programme:  
http://www.wcoomd.org/en/topics/capacity -building/activities -and-programmes/mercator -
programme.aspx  
 
WCO Implementing the TFA:  
http://www.wcoomd.org/en/topics/wco -impleme nting-the-wto-atf.aspx  
 
COVID -19 web page:  
http://www.wcoomd.org/en/topics/facilitation/activities -and-programmes/natural -
disaster/coro navirus.aspx  
 
COVID -19 vaccines distribution  
http://www.wcoomd.org/en/topics/facilitation/activities -and-programmes/n atural -
disaster/covid19 -vaccines -distribution.aspx  
 
What Customs can do to mitigate the effects of the COVID -19 pandemic:  
http://www.wcoomd.org/ -/media/wco/public/global/pdf/topics/facilitation/activities -and-
programmes/natural -disaster/covid_19/covid_19 -categorization -of-member -input_may -29-
2020_edition -4_en.pdf?la=en  
 
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