G/TFA/N/CHE/ 4 
 
16 September 2021  
(21-6903) Page: 1/3 
Committee on Trade Facilitation  Original: English  
 
 
NOTIFICATION BASED ON ARTICLE 22:1 AND 22:2 OF  
THE TRADE FACILITATION AGREEMENT  
COMMUNICATION FROM SWITZERLAND  
The following communication, dated  25 August  2021, is being circulated at the request of the 
delegation of Switzerland.  
 
_______________  
 
 
Switzerland hereby makes the following notifications in accordanc e with Article  22.1 and Article  22.2 
of the Trade Facilitation Agreement (WT/L/931) . 
 
1. Notified under Article 22.1  
 
Description of the 
technica l and 
financial assistance 
and c apacity 
building resources  Status and 
amount 
committed/disb
ursed  Beneficiary country/  
Region (where 
necessary)  The implementing 
agency in the 
Member providing 
assistance  Procedures for 
disbursement of the 
assistance  
The Trade 
Facilitation Support 
Program (TFSP) is a 
multi-donor 
program of the 
World Bank Group's 
Trade and 
Competitiveness 
Global Practice 
which provides 
support for 
countries seeking 
assistance in 
aligning their trade 
practices with the 
WTO Trade 
Facilitation 
Agreemen t. Swiss 
contribution:  
2017-2023 
CHF 2 million  Every country is 
eligible to receive 
support under the 
Program. Eligible 
countries are 
expected to have 
demonstrated a 
strong commitment 
to implementing 
trade facilitation 
reforms in the areas 
covered by the WTO 
TFA. Moreover, the 
TFSP will prioritize 
assistance to 
countries with limited 
access to other donor 
support.  WTO:  
World Trade 
Organization  
ITC: 
International 
Trade Center  
US ITC: United 
States 
International 
Trade 
Commission  
WCO: World 
Customs 
Organ ization  
IMF: International 
Monetary Fund  
UNCTAD: United 
Nations 
Conference on 
Trade and 
Development  
WBG: World Bank 
Group  Requests for 
technical assistance 
can be made directly 
to the Trade 
Facilitation Support 
Program or through 
WBG offices and 
partners.  
For further 
information:  
Trade Facilitation 
Support Program  
https://www.worldb
ank.org/en/program
s/trade -facilitation -
support -program#3  G/TFA/N/CHE/ 4 
 
- 2 - 
 
  Description of the 
technica l and 
financial assistance 
and c apacity 
building resources  Status and 
amount 
committed/disb
ursed  Beneficiary country/  
Region (where 
necessary)  The implementing 
agency in the 
Member providing 
assistance  Procedures for 
disbursement of the 
assistance  
The Global Trade 
Facilitation Program 
(GTFP) is a multi -bi 
donor program of 
the World Customs 
Organization (WCO) 
and Switzerland 
providing support to 
priority countries in 
the realm of the 
Swiss Economic 
Development 
Cooperation. The 
program assists 
countries i n 
implementing the 
WTO Trade 
Facilitation 
Agreement and the 
WCO Revised Kyoto 
Convention.  Swiss 
contribution:  
2018-2023 
CHF 5.5 million  Eligible countries 
include partner 
countries of the Swiss 
Economic 
Development 
Cooperation:  
Albania; Colombia; 
Egypt ; Ghana; 
Indonesia; 
Kyrgyzstan; Peru; 
Serbia; South Africa; 
Tajikistan; Tunisia ; 
Ukraine; Viet  Nam. WCO: World 
Customs 
Organization  Requests for 
assistance can be 
made to the notified 
TF Contact Point 
responsible for 
technical assistance 
and capacity Buildi ng 
or directly to the 
WCO.  
Eligible countries will 
be selected through 
the program.  
The Global Trade 
Helpdesk (GTH) is 
an initiative that 
gathers the best 
available market 
information from 
UNCTAD, WTO, 
International Trade 
Centre (ITC) and 
partner 
organization 
databases and 
transforms it into 
practical trade 
information. This 
can be used by 
MSMEs, policy 
makers and trade 
support institutions 
on a freely available 
online platform. The 
GTH thus integrates 
comprehensive 
information from 
various sources  on 
market 
requirements, 
export/import 
procedures, and 
business 
opportunities and 
makes it available 
to the public.  
The Global Trade 
Helpdesk is 
designed as a Multi -
funder Trust Fund.  Swiss 
contribution:  
A first phase of 
the GTH 
initiative ran 
from 2018 -2020 
and was 
supported by 
Switzerland with 
CHF 1 million. 
Going forward, 
Switzerland will 
continue to 
support the 
initiative with 
CHF 1  million 
over the next 
4 years.  Global  ITC: International 
Trade Centre  Global Trade 
Helpdesk  
https://globaltradeh
elpdesk.org/en  
 
 G/TFA/N/CHE/ 4 
 
- 3 - 
 
  2. Notified under Article 22.2  
 
In Switzerland the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) is in charge of economic 
cooperation and development activities. Within the framework of the implementation of the 
Agree ment on Trade Facilitation SECO' s Trade Promotion Division is responsible for assistance and 
support for capacity building.  
 
Enquiries regarding trade facilitation -related assistance can be directed to:  
 
Trade Promotion Division (WEHU)  
State Secretariat for Economic Affairs – SECO  
Economic Cooperation and Development  
Holzikofenweg 36  
3003 Bern  
Switzerland  
 
Phone:  +41 58 461 43 61  
Fax:  +41 58 464 0967  
 
E-Mail:  TF.contact@seco.admin.ch  
 
The Donor contact information can also be found on http://www.tfafacility.org/switzerland . 
 
__________