G/L/ 1468  
14 December  2022 
(22-9210) Page: 1/21 
   
 
REPORT (202 2) OF THE COMMITTEE ON TRADE FACILITATION  
1. The Agreement on Trade Facilitation (TFA) entered into force on 22 February 2017. This report 
covers the period  from 2 1 October 202 1 to 1 December  2022. 
2. During the period under review, the Committee on Trade Facilitation (TFC) held four formal 
meetings: on 4-5 April  (G/TFA/M/ 20); on 30 June -1 July  (G/TFA/M/ 21); on 15 August  (G/TFA/M/ 22); 
and on 28 November -1 December  (G/TFA/M/ 23).1 As per article 21.4 of the TFA, the Committee 
held a Dedicated Session on Assistance  and Capacity Building on 1 December.  
3. The TF C also held three informal meetings: on 11 February ; 3 March ; and 29 March . 
4. Mr Christopher O'Toole  (Canada)  was elected Chairperson of the Committee for the year 
2021-2022 on 30 July 2021, through written procedures.  Subsequently, H.E. Dr Adamu Mohammed 
Abdulhamid (Nigeria) was elected Chairperson for the period 2022 -2023 on 30 May 2022, through 
written procedures.  
5. During the period under review, the work of the TFC focused on four main areas: matters 
relating to the implementation and administration of the TFA , including the final notification deadline 
by least developed countries ; experience sharing/thematic discussions;  and an event 
commemorating the first five years of entry into force of the Trade Facilitation Agreement . 
MATTERS REL ATING TO THE IMPLEMENTATION AND ADMINISTRATION OF THE TRADE 
FACILITATION AGREEMENT (TFA)  
6. Two Members notified their domestic ratification of the TFA – Solomon Islands on 
14 April 2022 and Guinea -Bissau on 20 September 2022 . This brings to 15 6 the total num ber of 
Members that have ratified the Agreement (9 5% of the Membership).  
Transparency notifications  
7. The Committee undertook a review of notifications received under the TFA at each of its 
meetings during the period under review. Under Section I of the Agre ement, Members are required 
to submit a number of transparency notifications under articles 1.4 (import, export and transit 
procedures); 10.4.3 (single window); 10.6.2 (customs brokers) and 12.2.2 (exchange of customs 
information)  During the period under r eview, the Committee received 20 transparency notifications , 
of which seven  were first time transparency notifications and fourteen were revisions to previous 
notifications . Eighty -two transparency notifications from 38 Members remain outstanding.2   
8. Notifications from the European Union and Nigeria were received  on 25 November and will be 
considered by the Committee at the first meeting of 202 3.  
Implementation notifications  
9. Developing and least developed country Members wishing to invoke the special flexibilities of 
the TFA are required to do so under Section II of the Agreement (articles 13 to 22).  Under Section  II, 
Members are required to notify their implementation commitments to the Committee in accordance 
with Articles 15 and 16. During t he period under review, 16 Members submitted notifications under 
 
1 To be issued.  
2 A full list can be found in Annex 1.  G/L/1468  
 
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  Article 16 (category B and C designations) and no Member submitted notification s under Article 15 
(category A designation).  Twenty -one implementation notifications from 15 Members remain 
outstanding.3 
10. In accordance with Article 16, the Committee had granted requests from nine least developed 
country Members4 to extend the notification deadline  for category B provisions . No Member 
submitted notifications under this provision during  the period under review and  one Member 
continue s to have an outstanding notification.5  
11. In accordance with Article 16 of the TFA, the deadline for least developed countr y Members 
to present their definitive dates for the implementation of category C provisions was 22 August  2022. 
If a least  developed country Member, before th is deadline , believes it requires additional time to 
notify its definitive dates, the Member may request an extension. During  the meeting s of 30  June 
and 15 August 2022, the Committee  granted requests from five Members to extend the notification 
deadline for category C provisions.6 Two additional requests were granted through silent 
procedures.7  
12. The Committee received 16 requests for an extension of definitive dates for implementation 
of category B and C commitments under  article 17 of the TFA ("Early Warning Mechanism "). 
Extensions were approved for 31 measures from 1 1 Members. Five developing Members that had 
requested extensions for longer than 18 months were granted e xtensions for 18 months – which is 
the time-frame automatically granted under the TFA  for developing Members . One least developed 
Member that had requested an extension for longer than three years was granted an extension of 
three years – which is the time-frame automatically granted under the TFA for LDCs . The Committee 
did not approve extensions for 2 measures from eight Members that did not conform to the 
requirements set out in Article 17 of the TFA.8  
13. Article 19 of the TFA allows for developing and le ast developed country Members to shift 
notified provisions between categories B and C. During the period under review, the Committee 
received seven notifications under article 19, two9 of which reflected shifts of provisions from 
category B to category C,  and five10 of which indicated shifts of provisions from category C to 
category B.   
14. A full list of notifications received by the Committee for the period under review is included in 
Annex 1.  
Notifications regarding technical assistance and capacity buildi ng support  
15. In accordance with Article 22 and of the TFA, donor Members are required to provide 
information regarding their provision of support for capacity building ( Article 22.1) as well as 
regarding their process and mechanisms through which to receive assistance ( Article 22.2). During 
the period under review, four donor Members submitted notifications  in accordance with these 
articles.11 Article 22.3 requires those Members seeking technical assistance and capacity building 
support to notify thei r contact points. Seven  developing and least developed country Members 
submitted notifications under Article 22.3.12 Nine Members notified progress in assistance received 
and gaps remaining to implement category C commitments.13 
 
3 A full list can be found in Annex 1.  
4 Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Chad, Djibouti, Lao PDR, Mauritania, Senegal, Sierra Leone and the 
Solomon Islands . 
5 Djibouti . 
6 Chad, Djibouti, Guinea, Nepal, and Togo.  
7 Tanzania and Uganda.  
8 A full list c an be found in Annex 1.  
9 Central African Republic  and Mauritania . 
10 Lao PDR, Liberia, Myanmar, Rwanda  and Viet  Nam. 
11 European Union, Japan, United Kingdom and United States.  
12 Botswana, Central African Republic, Cuba, Ghana, Honduras, Lao PDR, and Zambia.  
13 Cambodia, Costa Rica, Lao PDR, Liberia, Myanmar, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands , and 
Tonga .  G/L/1468  
 
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  16. Notifications from the European Union and Nigeria were received in November and will be 
considered by the Committee at the first meeting of 202 3.  
EXPERIENCE SHARING/THEMATIC DISCUSSIONS  
17. The first experience -sharing session took place at the TF Committee meeting of 2 -3 May 2018.  
Since then, it has remained a standing item on the agenda of regular Committee meetings. These 
discussions take place under informal mode. In 2022, at the committee meeting of 4 -5 April, Ghana 
shared its experience with implementation of Article  10.4 single window . At the Committee meeting 
of 30 June,  China shared its experience with implementation of Article 10.4 , Article 7.4  risk 
management ; Article 7.7  authorized operators . At the November meeting, Ghana shared on their 
enquiry point, Côte d’Ivoire presented its trade portal, India informed of its time release study, 
Guatemala and the Secretariat for Central American Economic Integration shared on the 
advancements in Trade Facilitation in the region . Membe rs also addressed cross -cutting topics such 
as smart governance.  See Annex 2 for details of the presentations.   
DEDICATED SESSION ON TRANSIT  ISSUES OF LANDLOCKED COUNTRY MEMBERS  
18. Under the first four -year review of the TFA, in a communication in document G /TFA/W/53, the 
Group of Landlocked Developing Countries provided specific information regarding the status of 
implementation of the Agreement in their countries.  
19. At a meeting on 23 November  2021, Mongolia, on behalf of landlocked developing countries  
(LLDCs) proposed to include in the review report a recommendation to amend the Committee's 
spring meeting agenda until the next review of the TFA is completed, to include a dedicated session 
to discuss transit issues of landlocked country members. The dedicated space would highlight the 
importance of transit and would reserve time for the Committee to discuss best practices as well as 
the constraints and challenges facing landlocked dev eloping countries.  
20. The session  took place during the 4 -5 April regular meeting of the Committee and  was 
organized by the Group of Landlocked Developing Countries led by Botswana in its role as 
Coordinator of the Group.  Ambassador Dr Athaliah Lesiba Moloko mme (Botswana) moderate d the 
session . Ambassador Molokomme's opening statement is contained in Annex 3.  
21. LLDC members Kazakhstan, Bolivia and Malawi made presentations. The session also heard 
presentations from the WTO Secretariat, UNCTAD, WCO and ITU. H.E. Dr Adamu Mohammed 
Abdulhamid, Chairperson of the CTF made the concluding remarks.  More details on the information 
and experience sharing discussions can be found on the TFA database .14  
22. Three further annual dedicated sessions will take place at the spring  meetings of the 
Committee until 2026 when the next review of the TFA will be completed.  
TRADE FACILITATION AGREEMENT 5 -YEAR ANNIVERSARY EVENT  
23. The Chairperson raised the suggestion, first at the  Committee meeting of 19 -21 October 2021  
and again at the meet ing of 26 November 2021 , of holding an event in the first half of 2022 to mark 
the fifth anniversary of the entry into force of the T FA. With no objections raised, t he Chairperson 
subsequently issued an invitation to all interested delegations to submit to  him ideas, suggestions 
or comments on the possible topics, format, and structure of the proposed event contact by 
mid-January 2022. He circulated a communication on 2 February containing the suggestions that he 
had received and convening an open -ended consultation on 11 February to advance the Committee's 
work on putting together a program me for the anniversary event.  
24. Building on the i nitial suggestions that circulated on 2 February and the views expressed at 
the meeting of 11 February, a first draft programme was circulated on 25 February. This was followed 
up with open -ended consultations on 3 March. A revised, more detailed draft pro gramme was 
circulated on 23 March which was followed by a further open -ended consultation on 29 March to 
further refine the programme.  A third draft programme was circulated on 25 April followed by a 
 
14 https://tfadatabase.org/trad e-facilitation -committee/experience -sharing/all . G/L/1468  
 
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  small group meeting of Members and Annex D partners part icipating in the programme. A  fourth 
and final draft programme was circulated on 31 May.   
25. The anniversary event took place on 29 June on the margins of the Committee's regular 
meeting  held on 1 and 2 July. The programme was organized in four sessions as fo llows: (i) 
Measuring the impact of five years of TFA implementation; The Trade Facilitation Agreement and 
Digitalized Trade; (iii) Critical role of National Trade Facilitation Committees in TFA implementation ; 
and (iv) Challenges and opportunities in TFA i mplementation . The final event programme  is 
contained in Annex 4 and the Chairperson's report on the event to the Trade Facilitation meeting of 
30 June is contained in Annex 5. A full list of speakers, recordings of the presentations and 
summaries of the sessions  can be found here.  
FOUR YEAR REVIEW OF THE TRADE FACILITATION AGREEMENT  
26. The Committee carried out the first four -year Review of the operation and implementation of 
the Trade Facilitation Agreement in accordance with article 23.1.6  which states:  "The Committee 
shall review the operation and implementation of this Agreement four years from its entry into force, 
and periodically thereafter. " 
27. The Review took stock of Members ' progress in implementing the Agreement from 2017 to 
2021, as well as implementation challenges encountered by Members, particularly least -developed 
countries. It identified a number of means by which the TFC can strengthen its work to support full 
implementation of the TFA. The next Review will take place in 2026  
28. The review process started in January 2021  with a round of consultations carried out by the 
Chair through February . The Committee adopted a calendar for the review proc ess (G/TFA/1)  in 
March 2021. The Secretariat prepared a draft f actual report which was circulated in May 
(G/TFA/W/41) . A first draft of the Review (G/TFA/W/41/Rev.1)  in August  and nine  revisions of the 
draft (G/TFA/W/41/Rev.2 -Rev.10)  were made during Septe mber and October. The Committee 
adopted the Review (G/TFA/2)  at its meeting on 26 November 2021.  
29. The substance of the Review was driven by Members' submissions and active discussions, with 
a total of 43 communications and 13  future -looking proposals feedin g into the Review. This resulted 
in 17 decisions and recommendations for future work of the Committee. The Review also recognized 
how work of the Committee had been impacted by the COVID -19 pandemic and how the Committee 
had taken steps to allow Members to  share their experiences on the trade facilitating measures they 
took to face the pandemic.   
30. The recommendations  and decisions resulting from the Review  are as follows:  
Section  I of the TFA  
31. Building on the discussions during this first Review of the operation and implementation of the 
Trade Facilitation  Agreement, and with a view to furthering its work in regard to Section I of the 
TFA, the Committee : 
Recognizing that WTO Members are responsi ble for  the maintenance of their transparency 
notifications, including regarding the official places where information under Article 1 of TFA 
is published,  decides that  the Secretariat shall annually check the operability of the related 
web links, namely, those related to the implementation of Article 1.4 of TFA, and request the 
relevant Members to update the links that are identified as broken.   
Section  II of the TFA  
32. Building  on the discussions during this first review of the operation and implementation o f the 
Trade Facilitation  Agreement, and with a view to furthering its work in regard to Section II of the 
TFA, the Committee:  
i. recommends that beneficiary Members with category C commitments organize meetings with 
donors in capital, to review the state of a ssistance and potential future needs. Beneficiary G/L/1468  
 
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  Members are invited to share the outcome of these meetings with the Trade Facilitation 
Committee  as soon as possible .  
ii. recalls the importance of LDCs and donor Members informing the Trade Facilitation Committee 
on the arrangements of assistance and support for capacity building to enable the 
implementation of category C  
iii. decides that the Secretariat will lead a process wit h Members to agree regularised agenda 
topics for the dedicated session on assistance and capacity building, within the parameters of 
Article 21.4. As part of this process, the following items will be discussed at every dedicated 
session henceforth:  
a. International and regional organi zations and other agencies supporting the 
implementation of the TFA are invited to provide a report on the activities that they 
have delivered in the preceding twelve months. This should provide details on which 
Members the y are supporting, the TFA articles they are helping to implement, and 
reflections on challenges and successes to enable improved future capacity building 
support.  
b. Members and organi zations are invited to share experiences on where synergies 
between capacit y building programmes have benefited implementation of the TFA and 
consider where further collaboration and cooperation (including on a regional level) 
might best support a future implementation of specific Articles.  
iv. decides to review the effectiveness of the list of definitive implementation dates prepared by 
the WTO Secretariat ( G/TFA/INF/1 ) on a regular basis and, as appropriate, improve the list 
and the methods for circulating it by reflecting feedback from Members in order to promote 
better self -management by  Members of their own implementation status and allow adequate 
monitoring by the Committee.  
v. recommends, as appropriate, Members and international organizations take into account the 
information provided in the LDC Section of this Report in their efforts to  support the 
implementation of the TFA.  
vi. recommends that Members whose implementation dates have passed for their category B or 
C provisions, and on a voluntary basis and for informational purposes only: (i) confirm the 
passing of implementation dates in an y form or reporting (orally or in writing); and/or (ii) 
share their implementation experiences with the Committee while explicitly mentioning the 
provision they have implemented. Category B and Category C provisions shall be implemented 
on the definitive d ates as notified by Members as per Article 16.5 of the Agreement. 
The Committee could encourage those Members who have implemented category B provisions 
in particular to take the actions above. It should be noted that this proposal never intends to 
modify the Members' obligations under the TFA.  
 
Section  III of the TFA  
33. Building  on the discussions during this first review of the operation and implementation of the 
Trade Facilitation  Agreement, and with a view to furthering its work in regard to Section III of  the 
TFA, the Committee:  
i. decides to remove "Review of Notifications Under Article 15 of the TFA" as a standing agenda 
item for its meetings, recognizing that the Committee may review new Article 15 notifications 
on an ad hoc  basis;  
ii. decides to add a new sta nding agenda item for Members to provide updates on overdue 
Section I and Section II notifications;  
iii. recommends that even when physical participation in meetings resumes, Interprefy (or an 
alternative IT platform) allowing remote connection should be enable d for all WTO Members;  
iv. recommends that notifications be circulated as far in advance of Committee meetings as 
possible in order to promote meaningful review and comment from Members;  
v. decides to draft document  that contains good practices and building blocks of successful 
NTFCs, and identifies a minimum of three concrete elements that all Members agree are 
essential for implementing a successful NTFC: full government agency participation, clear 
leadership with political imperatives, and strong links to the private sector  
vi. decides to include a new standing agenda item "Status of Definitive Date Implementation" 
after the existing agenda item "Status of Notifications and Ratifications" for review of the 
effectivenes s of the list of definitive dates in G/TFA/INF/1  and voluntary interventions by 
Members, if any, highlighting implementation of provisions as per 9.2 (iv) and (v i) above.  G/L/1468  
 
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  vii. decides to amend the Committee's spring meeting agenda, until next review of the TFA is 
comp leted, to include a Dedicated Session to discuss transit issues of landlocked country 
members.  
viii. decides to include an agenda item "Follow -up to the four -year review" for the purpose of 
continuing discussions, at the request of proponents, on the proposals t hat remain under 
consideration by the CTF from this review;  
ix. decides to request that the WTO Economic Research and Statistics Division update its 2015 
World Trade Report on the benefits and challenges of implementing the WTO Trade Facilitation 
Agreement, in cluding the data projections, and report the results to the Trade Facilitation 
Committee no later than its first formal meeting of 2023.  
x. decides to conduct a second review of the operation  and implementation of the Agreement 
in 2026, and periodically thereafter.  
TRADE FACILITATION AGREEMENT FACILITY  
34. At its meeting of 4 -5 April 2022, the Committee adopted a F ramework for the Management 
and Operation of the Facility .15 The Framework updated the operational guidelines of the Facility 
which had been developed in 2015, prior to the entry into force of the Agreement . The new 
framework takes account of the evolution of the needs of Members as expressed through the 
Committee . The Framework is intended to supplement the provisions of the 2015 Operational 
Guidelines.  
35. During the period under review, the focus of the TFAF's work has been on LDC TFA 
implementation notifications, grants, the independent evaluation of the Facility and working with a 
representative group of Members of the TF Committee (Workplan Committee) to prepare the 2023 
workplan.   
36. One Expression of Interest (EoI) was circulated on behalf of an LDC Member, one preliminary 
EoI is being coordinated with the national authorities of an applicant Member , and another 
preliminary EoI was matched with STDF to consider a possible grant application . 
37. The following technical assistance activities were carried out: (i) in -person Kazakhstan mission 
to regional TF committee meetin g; (ii) in -person meeting with Kyrgyz Republic and 
donors/development partners to present the Kyrgyz Republic's  PPG report; (iii) in -person 
Madagascar meeting of its NTFC to identify definitive dates for category C provisions; and (iv) 
13 one-to-one sessio ns on notifications for LDCs.   
38. Details of the  technical assistance activities carried out  by TFAF are contained in Annex 7.  
39. TFAF organized meetings with the Annex D+ partners to share updates and discuss 
collaboration in future events.  
40. TFAF's  Operational G uidelines require the Facility  to commission an independent review within 
five years of entry into force of the TFA, which was 22 February 2022. The evaluation was conducted 
by KPMG Norway  and is expected to be completed by the end of 2022. 
41. In accordance with the new TFAF Framework, a draft workplan for 202316 was prepared in  
cooperation with the Workplan Committee that is made up of interested Members. The workplan 
was reviewed  without request for any alteration  by the Committee at its 1 December dedicated 
session on technical assistance meeting. Following this review, the document is considered as final 
and will  subsequently be issued as G/TFA/TFAF /2.  
REPORTING BY TFAF AND OTHER ANNEX D O RGANIZATIONS  
42. During the period under review, TFAF reported updates to three regular Committee meetings. 
TFAF presented an oral update at the meeting of 4 -5 April. Ahead of the Committee meeting of June, 
TFAF circulated its annual report (G/TFA/4 ). It also provided its regular update in document 
G/TFA/W/9. TFAF's draft workplan was raised at the June meeting, with priorities to be identified by 
 
15 G/TFA/3 . 
16 G/TFA/TFAF/W/1 . G/L/1468  
 
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  the Committee. Ahead of the November meeting, TFAF circulated a regular update in document 
G/TFA/TFAF/1 . It circula ted a d raft workplan of the Trade Facilitation Agreement Facility for 2023 in 
document  G/TFA/TFAF/W/1 .  
43. A report from Annex D organizations was circulated in document G/TFA/W/80  ahead of the 
April meeting.  
DEDICATED SESSION ON ASSISTANCE AND CAPACITY BUILDING  
44. In accordance  with article 21:4 of the TFA , the Committee held its annual dedicated session 
on assistance and capacity building on 1 December 2022 . This was the first dedicated session that 
was  based on a regularized agenda as agreed upo n during the 2021 Review of the TFA and circulated 
in document G/TFA/5  (Annex 6). This was also the first dedicated session to take place following the 
final notification deadline (22 August 2022) which means that the Committee has collectively 
amassed a timeline for the implementation of the provisions of the Agreement, including where 
additional assistance is required.  
45. The Director -General made the opening remarks at this session. The session carried out (i) a 
review of progress in the provision of assistance and support for capacity building to support 
implementation, including the top five provisions in category C, ide ntified by notified definitive dates, 
to be implemented in the two -year period 2023 to 2024 ; (ii) shared experiences and information on 
ongoing assistance and support for capacity building and implementation programs, including 
challenges and successes ; (iii) received a r eport by international and regional organi zations and 
other agencies supporting the implementation of the TFA on the activities that they have delivered 
in the period October  2021 to October 2022 (G/TFA/ W/80 ). 
46. A number of Members made prese ntations, including donor Members, as did a number of 
international and regional organi zations and other agencies supporting the implementation of the 
TFA. All presentations are available here.  
47. In her opening remarks, the Director -General  urged the Committee to undertake work on 
consolidating all information exchanged by Members during all the dedicated sessions held so far, 
as a valuable tool in assisting the Committee to strengthen their efforts to operationalize the TFA 
Section II flexibilities . A report by the International Trade Centre and the Annex D organi zations was 
circulated ahead of the meeting in document G/TFA/W/85.  
48. A Member request ed that the Secretariat organize an informal session at the margins of the 
next Spring meeting on the topic of COVID -19 and disaster preparedness. It was  also requested that 
the Secretariat invited Members to procure participation from the private sector, civil society, and 
aid organizations.  
STATEMENT BY CHINA ON DIGITAL TRADE FACILITATION TECHNOLOGIES  
49. At the Committee meeting of 28 –29 November, China delivered a statement calling for 
discussions in the committee on digital trade facilitation technologies.  
REQUEST FROM THE CHAIR OF THE COUNCIL FOR TRADE IN GOODS FOR A REPORT ON 
ACTIONS ADOPTED BY THE COMMITTEE ON TRADE FACILITATION TO IMPROVE ITS WORK 
AND ITS WORK ON THE RESPONSE TO THE PANDEMIC  
50. At the Committee meeting of 28 –29 November, t he Chairperson i ndicated that in accordance 
with the CTG Chair's request for the Chairs of CTG subsidiary bodies to prepare reports on the 
functioning of the Committee and on the Committee's response to the pandemic, he would circulate 
a draft report to Members for commen t before submitting it on his own responsibility to the CTG.  
DRAFT ANNUAL REPORT TO THE COUNCIL FOR TRADE IN GOODS  
51. At the  meeting of 28 –29 November, t he Committee adopted  the Annual Report to the Council 
for Trade in Goods (G/TFA/W/ 87) and requested the Se cretariat to update it to take account of the 
Committee's November  meeting.   G/L/1468  
 
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  ANNEX 1 
NOTIFICATIONS FROM MEMBERS SINCE THE LAST  
ANNUAL REPORT  UNTIL 22 NOVEMBER 2022 
1  NOTIFICATIONS UNDER ARTICLES 16 OF THE TRADE FACILITATION AGREEMENT  
1.1  Implementation notifications (categories B, C)  
Member  Document Symbol  
Antigua And Barbuda  G/TFA/N/ATG/1/ADD.1 and 
G/TFA/N/ATG/1/ADD.1/CORR.1  
India G/TFA/N/IND/1/ADD.2  
Indonesia  G/TFA/N/IDN/1/ADD.1  
Mali G/TFA/N/MLI/1/Add.3  
Bangladesh  G/TFA/N/BGD/1/ADD.5  
Burkina Faso  G/TFA/N/BFA/1/Add.4  
Cambodia  G/TFA/N/KHM/1/Add.3  
Gambia, The  G/TFA/N/GMB/1/Add.3  
Kazakhstan  G/TFA/N/KAZ/2/Add.2  
Lesotho  G/TFA/N/LSO/1/Add.4  
Madagascar  G/TFA/N/MDG/1/Add.3  
Niger  G/TFA/N/NER/2/Add.2 and  
G/TFA/N/NER/2/Add.2/Corr.1  
Saint Kitts And Nevis  G/TFA/N/KNA/1/Add.3  
Senegal  G/TFA/N/SEN/1/Add.3  
Solomon Islands  G/TFA/N/SLE/1/Add.3  
 
1.2  Donor arrangements and progress in the provision of Technical Assistance and 
capacity building support  
Member  Document symbol  
Cambodia  G/TFA/N/KHM/4/Rev.1  
Costa Rica  G/TFA/N/CRI/3  
Lao People's Democratic Republic  G/TFA/N/LAO/3/Rev.1  
Liberia  G/TFA/N/LBR/4  
Myanmar  G/TFA/N/MMR/3  
Rwanda  G/TFA/N/RWA/4/Rev.1  
Sierra Leone  G/TFA/N/SLE/2  
Solomon Islands  G/TFA/N/SLB/2  
Tonga  G/TFA/N/TON/4  
 
2  NOTIFICATIONS UNDER ARTICLES 17 OF THE TRADE FACILITATION AGREEMENT  
Member  Document Symbol  
Zambia  G/TFA/N/ZMB/1/ADD.1  
Lesotho  G/TFA/N/LSO/1/ADD.3  
Guatemala  G/TFA/N/GTM/1/ADD.2  
Ghana  G/TFA/N/GHA/1/ADD.2  
Argentina  G/TFA/N/ARG/1/ADD.2  G/L/1468  
 
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  Member  Document Symbol  
Botswana  G/TFA/N/BWA/1/ADD.3  
Ecuador  G/TFA/N/ECU/1/Add.4  
Grenada  G/TFA/N/GRD/1/Add.2  
Mongolia  G/TFA/N/MNG/1/Add.2  
Nicaragua  G/TFA/N/NIC/1/Add.3  
Peru G/TFA/N/PER/1/Add.2  
Saint Kitts And Nevis  G/TFA/N/KNA/1/Add.2  
Saint Lucia  G/TFA/N/LCA/1/Add.3  
Sierra Leone  G/TFA/N/SLE/1/Add.4  
Sri Lanka  G/TFA/N/LKA/1/Add.3  
Zambia  G/TFA/N/ZMB/1/Add.2  
3  NOTIFICATIONS UNDER ARTICLES 19 OF THE TRADE FACILITATION AGREEMENT  
Member  Document Symbol  
Central African Republic  G/TFA/N/CAF/1/Add.3  
Lao People's Democratic Republic  G/TFA/N/LAO/1/Add.5  
Liberia  G/TFA/N/LBR/1/Add.1  
Mauritania  G/TFA/N/MRT/1/Add.2  
Myanmar  G/TFA/N/MMR/1/Add.2  
Rwanda  G/TFA/N/RWA/1/Add.4  
4  NOTIFICATIONS UNDER ARTICLES 1:4, 10:4:3, 10:6:2 AND 12:2:2 OF THE TRADE 
FACILITATION AGREEMENT  
Member  Document symbol  
Tonga  G/TFA/N/TON/3/REV.1  
Niger  G/TFA/N/NER/5  
Kenya  G/TFA/N/KEN/4  
Indonesia  G/TFA/N/IDN/2/REV.1  
Norway  G/TFA/N/NOR/2/REV.2 and G/TFA/N/NOR/2/REV.2/CORR.1  
Egypt  G/TFA/N/EGY/2/REV.1  
Kenya  G/TFA/N/KEN/3/REV.1  
India G/TFA/N/IND/2/ADD.1  
Angola  G/TFA/N/AGO/3  
Bahrain  G/TFA/N/BHR/3/REV.1  
Congo  G/TFA/N/COG/2  
Cuba G/TFA/N/CUB/4  
El Salvador  G/TFA/N/SLV/2/Rev.1  
Ghana  G/TFA/N/GHA/2  
Kazakhstan  G/TFA/N/KAZ/1/Rev.1  
New Zealand  G/TFA/N/NZL/1/REV.1  
Pakistan  G/TFA/N/PAK/2/REV.2  G/L/1468  
 
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  Member  Document symbol  
United Arab Emirates  G/TFA/N/ARE/2  
United Kingdom  G/TFA/N/GBR/2/REV.1  
Hong Kong, China  G/TFA/N/HKG/1/REV.3  
 
5  MEMBERS WITH OVERDUE TRANSPARENCY NOTIFICATIONS  
Afghanistan  Armenia  Benin  
Bolivia, Plurinational State of  Brunei Darussalam  Burkina Faso  
Burundi  Cabo Verde  Cameroon  
Central African Republic  Chad Democratic Republic of the Congo  
Djibouti  Fiji Ghana  
Grenada  Guatemala  Guyana  
Jamaica  Jordan  Kuwait, the State of  
Liberia  Mauritania  Mozambique  
Nigeria  Panama  Papua New Guinea  
Paraguay  Philippines  Qatar  
Seychelles  Sierra Leone  Solomon Islands  
South Africa  Tunisia  Uganda  
Vanuatu  Zimbabwe   
6  NOTIFICATIONS UNDER ARTICLE 22 OF THE TRADE FACILITATION AGREEMENT BY 
DONOR MEMBERS  
6.1  Donor  
Member  Document symbol  
European Union  G/TFA/N/EU/2/ADD.3 and 
G/TFA/N/EU/2/ADD.3/CORR.1  
United Kingdom  G/TFA/N/GBR/3  
United States  G/TFA/N/USA/6  
Japan  G/TFA/N/JPN/7  
 
6.2  Developing and least developed country Members  
Member  Document symbol  
Zambia  G/TFA/N/ZMB/2/REV.1  
Cuba G/TFA/N/CUB/3/REV.1  
Ghana  G/TFA/N/GHA/3  
Honduras  G/TFA/N/HND/2/Rev.2  
Lao People's Democratic Republic  G/TFA/N/LAO/4/Rev.1  
Central African Republic  G/TFA/N/CAF/3  
Botswana  G/TFA/N/BWA/3  
 
 G/L/1468  
 
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  ANNEX  2 
EXPERIENCE SHARING AND THEMATIC DISCUSSIONS   
IN THE WTO COMMITTEE ON TRADE FACILITATION  
The following table offers an overview of the experience -sharing/thematic discussions that take place 
in the WTO Committee on Trade Facilitation.  
 
A dedicated webpage has been created on the TFA Database where all referenced presentations and 
related documents can be easily accessed under the followin g link: https://tfadatabase.org/trade -
facilitation -committee/experience -sharing  
 
 
Committee on Trade Facilitation meeting 4 -5 April  
Subject/TFA Provision  Presenter  Title 
Article 10.4 - Single window  Ghana  Ghanas implementation of Article 
10.4 single wind ow 
 
Committee on Trade Facilitation meeting 30 June 2002  
Subject/TFA Provision  Presenter  Title 
 
Article 10.4 - Single window  
Article 7.4 - Risk management  
Article 7.7 - Authorized operators  
Various  China  Chinas experience in improving 
trade facilitation through Smart 
Customs Start Borders and Smart 
Connectivity  
Article 2 3.2 - National Committee on 
Trade Facilitation  Kyrgyz Republic  Implementation of the Trade 
Facilitation Agreement in the 
Kyrgyz Republic and  next steps to 
introduce electronic document 
management in foreign trade  
Angola  Angola National Committee on 
Trade Facilitation  
  G/L/1468  
 
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  ANNEX  3 
WTO COMMITTEE ON TRADE FACILITATION DEDICATED SESSION ON  
TRANSIT ISSUES , 5TH APRIL 2022  
PROGRAMME  
Time  Activity  Led by  
10:00 -10:05  Opening Remarks  Ambassador Dr. Athaliah 
Lesiba Molokomme, Botswana,   
Coordinator of LLDCs in 
Geneva  
10:05 -10:50  Sharing of best practices and experiences 
LLDC  
 LLDC members  
• Kazakhstan  
• Bolivia  
• Malawi ( Malawi 
Revenue Authority ) 
10:50 -11:05  Q & A   
11:05 –11:15  Presentation on WTO publication on LLDC 
bottlenecks  WTO 
11:15 –11:30  Q & A   
11:30 –11:45  ASYCUDA solutions for transit  
Transit coordination according to Art 11.16 
and 17 of the TFA.   UNCTAD  
11:45 –11:55  Q & A   
11:55 -12:10  Impact of Covid -19 on Global Supply chains 
and what the WCO is doing to Support the 
Economies and Sustain Supply Chain 
Continuity and current status on 
containerization.  World Customs Organization  
12:10 –12:20  Q & A   
12:20 – 12:35  Transit facilitation and E -Commerce, 
(bridging the digital divide)   International 
Telecommunication 
Union  (ITU)  
12:25 -12:50  Q & A   
12:50 -3:00 Closing Remarks   H.E. (Dr) Adamu Mohammed 
Abdulhamid  (Nigeria)   
Chairperson of the Trade 
Facilitation Committee  
  G/L/1468  
 
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  DEDICATED SESSION ON TRANSIT ISSUES OF LANDLOCKED COUNTRY MEMBERS  
AMBASSADOR DR. ATHALIAH LESIBA MOLOKOMME (BOTSWANA)  
LLDCS C OORDINATOR  
Opening Statement  
1. At outset, I wish to thank this committee for including in its agenda a dedicated session on 
transit issues of the landlocked developing countries (LLDCs). I also wish to thank my predecessor, 
former  coordinator of the Group of LLDCs and PR of Mongolia for facilitating the inclusion of this 
important agenda item in the discussions of the committee.  
2. This is a very pertinent issue for landlocked developing countries and it has become even more 
importan t as we continue to deal with the impact of COVID -19 pandemic, and make concerted efforts 
to recover from its devastating impact.  
3. The issue of transit indeed deserves focused discussions if we are dedicated to achieving the 
main objective of the WTO: "to help WTO members use trade as a means to raise living standards, 
create jobs and improve people 's lives ". Addressing the transit challenges faced by LLDCs will ensure 
that these countries are not left behind in using trade to achieve sustainable development .  
4. Excellencies,  International trade is recognized as a driver of economic prosperity and an 
important means to achieving sustainable development. LLDCs are however missing out on the 
opportunities brought by open trade.  
5. The 32 LLDCs are marginalized from  global trade as their share in global merchandise exports 
has lingered around 1% and below over the years despite their efforts to grow and diversify their 
trade. The LLDCs ' marginalization from global trade has been attributed mainly to high trade costs.  
LLDCs depend on passage through transit countries to engage in international trade. They therefore 
face several challenges including, multiple border crossings, complex administrative transit and 
border  procedures, inadequate transit transport infrastruct ure as well as security challenges. These 
challenges result in delays and relatively high trade costs for LLDCs.  
6. The basic  trade costs  of LLDCs  are nearly  twice those of neighbouring  countries with 
coastlines. These high trade costs erode the competitive edge of the LLDCs as well as their trade 
volumes, resulting in an enormous negative impact on their overall sustainable development. They 
remain a stumbling block to LLDCs ' pursuit to achieving their trade potential.  
7. This also has an impact on LLDCs ' ability to attract and retain FDI which is necessary to achieve 
structural economic transformation and integration into global value chains. It also adversely affects 
their potential to make progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals.  
8. Excellencies , The COVID -19 pandemic has further exacerbated the challenges faced by LLDCs. 
The COVID -19 restrictive measures imposed by LLDCs and their transit neighbours  to curb the 
spread of the virus has negatively impacted the timely delivery of goods and services and therefore 
further increased LLDCs ' trade costs.  
9. Achieving efficient transit regimes and addressing high trade costs faced by LLDCs is important 
to ensure that they are not left behind in benefiting from increasing global trade. The Vienna 
Programme of Acti on for LLDCs emphasizes the need to establish secure, reliable and efficient transit 
systems to enable LLDCs to reduce transport costs and enhance the competitiveness of their exports 
to regional and global markets.  
10. The VPoA also places trade facilitation at the core of addressing transit challenges.  It 
recognizes that cooperation on fundamental transit policies, laws and regulations between LLDCs 
and their transit neighbo urs is crucial for the effective and integrated solutions to cross borde r trade 
and transit -transport problems.   G/L/1468  
 
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  11. Whilst the full implementation of the TFA remains important, several measures have been 
identified as being critical in addressing transit challenges faced by LLDCs. These measures include:  
Article 1 (Publication a nd availability of information); Article 7 (release and clearance of goods); 
Article 8 (Border Agency Cooperation); Article 10 (Formalities Connected with Importation, 
Exportation and Transit); Article 11 (Freedom of Transit) and Article 12 (Customs Cooper ation).  
12. The implementation of these provisions, including by their transit neighbours  as well as their 
trade partners is necessary to ease movement of goods and services to LLDCs and reduce trade 
costs associated with being landlocked .  
13. The implementation  of these measure by LLDCs and by their transit neighbo urs still lag behind 
due to limited financial and technical capacity.  According to the WTO TFA database the current rate 
of TFA implementation commitments by LLDCs stands at about 34% (category A). It  further states 
that LLDCs lag behind the global rate of implementation of commitments with implementation rates 
below 40% in the following articles: Article 10.4 on single window, article 7.7 on authorized 
operators, article 8 on border agency cooperation , article 7.4 on risk management, article 1.3 on 
enquiry points, article 7.8 on expedited shipments, article 1.2 on information available through 
internet, article 3 on advance rulings, article 7.6 on average release times and article 10.3 on use 
of intern ational standards amongst many. This demonstrates that more remains to be done to 
achieve efficient transit for the benefit of LLDCs.  
14. We therefore call for enhanced support towards the implementation of these measures to 
further facilitate transit and add ress LLDCs high transit costs.  
15. Excellencies,  whilst recognizing that infrastructure development is beyond the issues under 
the purview of this committee, it is also important to recognize that addressing only the soft issues 
is not sufficient to achieve efficient transit. The establishment of secure , sustainable, reliable and 
efficient transport systems is critical. Both the LLDCs and transit countries lack the capacity to 
develop and maintain such infrastructure. We therefore call on enhanced aid for trade towards 
infrastructure development and main tenance.  
16. Excellencies,  The aim of this first dedicated session on the transit issues of Landlocked 
Developing Countries is to discuss transit related challenges faced by LLDCs and propose possible 
solutions to these challenges.  We will also share experie nces on dealing with the transit challenges, 
including those brought about by the COVID -19 pandemic.  
17. We expect to get information on opportunities for the relevant technical, financial and capacity 
building. We also expect to come up with possible strateg ies to achieve efficient transit and integrate 
LLDCs into the multilateral trading system.  
18. Over the next four years we hope that these sessions would have increased awareness on the 
transit challenges confronting LLDCs and intensified partnerships. We hope  that solutions that are 
identified in these sessions will be implemented, and in particular the technical assistance and 
capacity building support needs towards LLDCs and transit countries will be enhanced.  
19. We also hope that through follow up actions to these sessions we would be able to achieve a 
higher implementation rate of the TFA by both LLDCs and transit countries, which can result in a 
meaningful decrease in trade costs that we face.  
20. Let us fully engage and have candid discussions on these issues.  I look forward to your fruitful 
engagement as well as new ideas that can help landlocked and transit countries to achieve efficient 
transit and address LLDCs high trade costs.   
Thank you.  
  G/L/1468  
 
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  ANNEX  4 
TRADE FACILITATION AGREEMENT  
5-YEAR ANNIVERSARY EVENT  
PROGRAMME  
Geneva, 29 June 2022  
 
SESSION 1 – MEASURING THE IMPACT OF FIVE YEARS OF TFA IMPLEMENTATION  
9:30 – 10:15 (CEST)  
In this session, speakers from the public and private sectors will carry out a stock -take of the 
TFA after five years of implementation through measuring the impact of the Agreement today.   
 
Moderator: Erik Solberg, Counsellor, Permanent Mission of Norway  to the World Trade 
Organization  
 
Presentations  
• Silvia Sorescu Economist/Policy Analyst, Emerging Policy Issues Division, Trade and 
Agriculture Directorate, OECD – Trade facilitation around the world: State of play and 
economic impacts  
• Roberta Piermartini,  Counsellor, Economic Research and Statistics Division (ERSD), 
World Trade Organization – ERSD Research on Trade Facilitation  
• Cosimo Beverelli, Research Economist, Economic Research and Statistics Division 
(ERSD), World Trade Organization – ERSD Research o n Trade Facilitation  
• William Gain, Global Lead, Trade Facilitation, Customs Reform & Border Management, 
World Bank Group – Measuring Impact of TFA Implementation Beyond Notifications  
• Koen Berden, Executive Director International Affairs, European Federatio n of 
Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations  
 
SESSION 2 – THE TRADE FACILITATION AGREEMENT AND DIGITALIZED TRADE  
10:30 – 12:45 (CEST)  
In this session, speakers will examine the Trade Facilitation Agreement and digitalized trade. 
Topics to be covered include a discussion of the relevant provisions under the TFA such as 
single windows and the framework it can provide for enabling digital trade. Speakers will also 
highlight the role of the role of digital technology in supporting and accelerating 
implementation of the TFA.  
 
Moderator: Suja Rishikesh Mavroidis, Director, Market Access Division, World Trade 
Organization  
 
1. SINGLE WINDOW AND DIGITALIZED TRADE  
Presentations  
• Don Lee, Director General, e -Revenue Stamp Department - Korea Trade Network 
(KTNET)  
• Xiaohui Zhang, First Secretary of Permanent Mission of the People's Republic of China 
to the WTO - Accelerated Implementation of the WTO TFA through "Smart Cu stoms, 
Smart Borders, and Smart Connectivity"  
• Tiago Martins Barbosa, Brazil Single Window Manager and General Coordinator of 
Strategic Projects at the Ministry of Economy of Brazil - Brazil's outcomes due to 
implementation of TFA and Single Window  
 G/L/1468  
 
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  Follow -up interactive discussion  
• Özlem Soysanli, Technical Officer, Facilitation, World Customs Organization  
• Carlos Grau Tanner, Director General, Global Express Association  
 
2.  WIDENING IMPLEMENTATION AND REALISING THE BENEFITS OF SINGLE 
WINDOWS  
 
Panel discussion  
• Zahouani Saadaoui, Head of Sector for Electronic Customs, DG Taxation and Customs 
Union (DGTAXUD), European Commission  
• Kyeremeh Yeboah, Head, Trade Facilitation and Import Management, Ministry of Trade 
and Industry, Ghana  
• Jean Louis Kaliningondo , Deputy Commissioner General, Rwanda  
• Debora Ponce, Counsellor, Permanent Mission of Guatemala to the World Trade 
Organization  
• Buket Asaf, Head of Department, Directorate General of Customs of Türkiye  
• Philip Horswi ll, Head of Single Trade Window Policy, Borders and Trade, HM Revenue 
and Customs, United Kingdom  
 
SESSION 3 – CRITICAL ROLE OF NATIONAL TRADE FACILITATION COMMITTEES IN  
TFA IMPLEMENTATION  
14:30 – 15:30 (CEST)  
WTO members are required to have in place a National Trade Facilitation Committee to 
facilitate both domestic coordination and implementation of the TFA. In this session, panelists 
will look at the critical role that has been played by NTFCs over the past five years. Building 
on lessons learned, they will also loo k ahead to how NTFCs may need to evolve to continue to 
facilitate implementation of the TFA.  
 
Moderator: H.E. (Dr) Adamu Mohammed Abdulhamid, Ambassador, Permanent 
Representative of Nigeria to the WTO, Chairman of the Committee on Trade 
Facilitation  
 
Panel  discussion   
• Kolawole Sofola, Ag. Director – Trade, Economic Community of West African States 
(ECOWAS)  
• Elçin Edis, Head of Department, Directorate General for International Agreements and 
European Union, Ministry of Trade of Türkiye  
• Joeline Modeste Harini aina, Permanent Secretary of the National Trade Facilitation 
Committee of Madagascar  
• Edwin Vasquez, Under -Secretary of Trade Negotiations, Ministry of Production of 
Ecuador  
• Chea Samnang, Deputy Director, Department of International Customs Cooperation, 
General Department of Customs and Excise of Cambodia, Ministry of Economy and 
Finances of Cambodia  
• Vijay Singh Chauhan, Customs Authority for Advance Rulings, India  
 
 
  G/L/1468  
 
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  SESSION 4 – CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES OF TFA IMPLEMENTATION  
15h45 – 17:50 (CEST)  
In this session, speakers will examine the challenges faced by Members to implement the TFA 
and explore the means by which necessary support can be provided. The session will also loo k 
at the opportunities available to Members as a result of implementation of the TFA, including 
the contribution of the Trade Facilitation Agreement to supply -chain resilience during the 
COVID -19 pandemic.  
Moderator:  Christopher O'Toole, Counsellor, Perma nent Mission of Canada to the World Trade 
Organization   
 
Presentations  
• Anke Raloff, Head, Division for Special Trade Policy (EU/WTO), Customs and Tariff 
Policy, and Trade Policy Instruments, German Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and 
Climate Action - The experience of implementing the TFA agreement from the ground, 
a donor 's perspective from Germany  
• Stephan Bethe, Head, Trade Division, German Federal Ministry of Economic 
Cooperation and Development  - The experience of implementing the TFA agreement 
from the ground, a donor 's perspective from Germany  
• Carolina Acosta, CIPE Representative, Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation - 
Innovative Cooperation: The experience of implementing the TFA agreement from the 
ground  
• William Gain, Global Lead , Trade Facilitation, Customs Reform & Border Management, 
World Bank Group - Challenges and Opportunities of TFA Implementation, Experience 
from the World Bank Group 's Trade Facilitation Support Program  
• Buddhi Upadhyaya, Counsellor/DPR (Commerce)  Permanent Mission of Nepal to the 
United Nations and other International Organizations in Geneva Nepal  
 
Panelists  
• Poul Hansen, Chief, Trade Facilitation, UNCTAD  
• Sheri Rosenow, Counsellor, World Trade Organization  
• Pierre Bonthonneau, Trade Facilitation Exp ert, International Trade Centre  
• Philippe Isler,  Executive Director, Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation  
 
 
  G/L/1468  
 
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  ANNEX 5 
REPORT BY THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE COMMITTEE ON TRADE FACILITATION ON THE 
5-YEAR ANNIVERSARY EVENT OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE TRADE FACILITATION 
AGREEMENT AS PRESENTED TO THE COMMITTEE MEETING ON 30 JUNE 2022  
1. I think all those of you who participated can agree that we had a very full day with many 
examples of impactful implementation of TFA provisions and their advancement of trade fac ilitation 
reform.  
 
2. The event underlined that while the TFA is making a difference, of course there are also some 
challenges to be overcome.  
 
3. I would like to highlight a number of the major points in particular that came through the 
discussions yesterday: Digitalization, Resilience, Inclusiveness, and Coordination:  
 
4. First, digitalization. There seemed to be a broad recognition today that the TFA can accelerate 
– and yet heavily relies on – the sorts of automated processes that make customs procedures both 
more efficient and more effective. For instance, various commentators noted how the success of 
certain technological innovations can be borne out of the introduction of single window systems – 
electronic documentation, data analytics, the u se of blockchain and artificial intelligence, to name a 
few. At the same time, there continue to be challenges in the implementation of single window, 
particularly as it relates to developing better quality data and finding solutions to maximize data 
interoperability.   
 
5. Second, trade facilitation also strengthens resilience. The experience with recent health and 
geopolitical shocks has confirmed the proof of concept of the Trade Facilitation Agreement. Several 
commentators noted, for instance, that countrie s who had implemented TF reforms were better able 
to adapt to changes in trade volumes and regulatory controls during the pandemic. The TFA helps 
members build resilience, and thus efforts to improve TF compliance not only yield the immediate 
benefits of r educed trading times and costs, but also strengthen members' ability to respond to the 
next crisis.  
 
6. Third, trade facilitation promotes inclusiveness. There was a spirited discussion about the 
extent to which benefits extend to all traders, and more work r emains to be done to identify the 
areas of maximum benefit for the world's smallest traders – the micro, small and medium -sized 
enterprises, and in many cases the women who run them. Several countries identified their efforts 
to facilitate trade for small businesses and noted how efforts to streamline customs processes and 
formalities can only accrue to the benefits of these entities by clarifying the rules and lowering the 
barriers to participate in global markets.  
 
7. Finally, trade facilitation relies on so und coordination within and between countries. We heard 
common themes from participants about the importance of improving coordination and ownership 
by various national agencies responsible for border matters, having a sound legal mandate to ensure 
a stron g foundation for that dialogue, and to the critical importance that the private sector plays in 
informing NTFCs about what is truly happening at the border while also serving as a critical partner 
in designing and implementing trade facilitation reforms. Y et a host of challenges remain – technical, 
human, and budgetary – and further cooperation both nationally and internationally is critical to long 
term NTFC sustainability.  
 
8. We also heard the warning we have heard from developing and LDC members and from s ome 
international organizations about the gaps in meeting technical assistance and capacity building 
needs.  
 
9. Overall, it has been very encouraging to hear and see how Members are committed to the 
implementation of the Agreement and how they are committed t o trade facilitation reform. And I 
am pleased that Members have had the opportunity to continue the conversation in sharing 
experiences and exchanging best practices.  
 
10. I would like to conclude my report by thanking all those who contributed to the event.   
 G/L/1468  
 
- 19 - 
 
  11. Firstly, I would like to express my warm appreciation to all speakers, panelists for sharing 
their experience and insights with us. I would also like to thank the moderators for their great job 
in ensuring the sessions ran smoothly and efficiently,  
 
12. Of course, I would like to thank everyone who intervened and those who joined us in the room 
and virtually.  
 
13. And I would like to finish by thanking the WTO team , across several divisions, who worked 
hard to provide a very worthy celebration of the first 5 yea rs of the TFA.  
 
  G/L/1468  
 
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  ANNEX 6 
REGULARISED AGENDA TOPICS FOR THE DEDICATED SESSION ON  
ASSISTANCE AND CAPACITY BUILDING, WITHIN  
THE PARAMETERS OF ARTICLE 21.4 (G/TFA/5)  
Adopted on 30 June 2022  
Under the four -year review of the Trade Facilitation Agreement (G/TFA/2), the Trade Facilitation 
Agreement Committee agreed to have regularized agenda topics for the dedicated session on 
assistance and capacity building, within the parameters of Article 21 .4 (G/TFA/2, paragraph 9.2(iii)). 
Following discussions by Members, the regularized agenda topics for the dedicated session on 
assistance and capacity building, in line with the parameters of Article 21:4 of the Trade Facilitation 
Agreement, are identified  as follows:  
1. Review of progress in the provision of assistance and support for capacity building to support 
implementation, including the top five provisions in category C, identified by notified definitive 
dates, to be implemented in the two-year period 2023 to 2024:  
- Status update by the Secretariat;  
- Experience -sharing by Members with top five category C implementation dates within 
the 2023 to 2024 period on their technical assistance arrangements and progress;  
- Experience -sharing by international and regional organi zations and other agencies  
supporting the implementation of the TFA on their activities to support implementation 
by Members of these category C provisions in the 2023 to 2024 period;  
- Experience -sharing by donor Members s upporting the implementation of these 
category  C provisions  in the 2023 to 2024 period ; 
- Report by the TFAF on how the top five issues will be prioritised in the delivery of its 
technical assistance activities and grants.  
2. Sharing of experiences and inf ormation on ongoing assistance and support for capacity 
building and implementation programs, including challenges and successes  
- Experience -sharing by Members on discussions with development partners and donors 
in capitals;  
- Experience -sharing by Member s and organi zations on how such synergies have 
benefited implementation of the TFA;  
- Consideration of where further collaboration and cooperation (including on a regional 
level) might best support a future implementation of specific articles.  
3. Report by  international and regional organi zations and other agencies supporting the 
implementation of the TFA on the activities that they have delivered in the period 
October  2021 to October 2022 (G/TFA/ W/80 ). 
4. Other business.  
  G/L/1468  
 
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  ANNEX 7 
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ACT IVITIES CARRIED OUT BY TFAF  
1 JANUARY TO 18 NOVEMBER 2022  
Activity and date  Desired outcome  No. of 
participants  
Regional workshop with Latin American  
Integration Association (ALADI)  
1-4 February 2022  
Online  Enhance the operation of the 
national trade facilitation 
committee  150+  
UNCTAD Global forum 2022 for national trade  
facilitation committees , 
1-4 February 2022  
Online  Enhance the operation of the 
national trade  facilitation 
committee  200+  
Senegal  session on definitive dates for Cat C 
with NTFC 5 May 2022  Preparation of TFA 
notifications  20 
Maldives session on reinforcement of NTFC 
23 May 2022  Enhance the operation of the 
national trade  facilitation 
committee  15 
In-person Kazakhstan mission to re gional TF 
committee meeting - follow up to Kyrgyz 
Republic PPG  
20-22 June 2022  Enhance the operation of 
National Trade Facilitation 
Committees  200 
In-person meeting with Kyrgyz Republic and 
donors/development partners to present Kyrgyz 
Republic PPG report  
1 July 2022  Find assistance for 
implementation of the 
provisions of the TFA  20 
In-Person Madagascar meeting of NTFC to 
identify definitive dates  
26 July 2022  Submit TFA Section II 
notifications within agreed 
deadlines  40 
In-person one -to-one sess ions on notifications 
for LDCs -  
13 sessions held in the period covered by this 
report  (March – July) Submit TFA Section II 
notifications within agreed 
deadlines. TFA ratification.  65 
 
__________