. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  TN/TF/W/138/Rev.3 
25 June 2009 
 (09-3129) 
Negotiating Group on Trade Facilitation Original:   English 
  
 
COMMUNICATION FROM KOREA, SINGAPORE AND THAILAND 
 
Revision
 
  
 The following communication, dated 24 June 2009,  is being circulated at the request of the 
Delegations of Korea, Singapore and Thailand.  
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PROPOSAL ON SINGLE WINDOW 
 
 1. The following draft text is submitted by Korea, Singapore, Thailand, for consideration by the 
Negotiating Group, without prejudice to further discu ssions and submissions regarding this or any 
other proposals.  
Textual proposal
  
 
• Members shall maintain or establish a "single window1" where documentation and/or data 
requirements for exportation, importation and transit are s ubmitted one time only.  The 
single window shall undertake onward distribution of the aforementioned documentation 
and/or data requirements to all the relevant authorities or agencies which require them.  
After the examination by the relevant author ities or agencies of the documentation and/or 
data, the single window shall notify the results  to the applicants in a timely manner. 
 
• In cases where documentation and/or data requirements have already been received by the 
single window, the same documentation and/or da ta requirements shall not be requested by 
other authorities or agencies except in urgent circumstances and other limited exceptions 
which are made public. 
 
• Members shall notify other Members through the WTO Secretariat the details of operation of 
the single window, including the participating au thorities and agencies, the functions of the 
single window, the contact point for the single window as well as the procedure of its usage.2 
 
• Members are encouraged to use, to the extent possible, information technology to support the 
single window. 
                                                      
1 A single window is defined as a facility that allo ws parties involved in trad e and transport to lodge 
standardized documentation and /or data with a single entry point to fulfil all import, export, and transit-related 
regulatory requirements (UN/CEFACT Recommendation No.33). 
2 Note to the reader:  This article may be dro pped from the proposed text should it be adequately 
covered by the Article on publication and availability of information. 
 TN/TF/W/138/Rev.3 
Page 2  
 
  • Members shall, where practicable, use relevant international standards and practices such as 
UN/CEFACT Recommendation No. 33 as a basis for the single window schemes. 
 
• With regard to the scope of the participating au thorities or agencies and of the documentation 
and/or data requirements, Members are a llowed to implement the single window in a 
progressive manner taking into account each  Member's implementation capacity.  
 
Special and Differential Treatment, Technical Assistance and Capacity Building
 
 
• With regard to the provisions on S&D and technical assistance and support for capacity 
building (TA/CB), horizontal provisions need to  be set out;  Such provisions will include 
temporary exemptions, extended implementation periods and TA/CB for developing and the 
least-developed countries in accordance with the provisions on special and different 
treatment. 
 
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