UNCTAD Trade Facilitation Capacity Building Program reaches 10-year milestone
Through this program, UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and its partners are helping more than 80 economies boost trade by reducing red tape and harnessing digitalization.
The Trade Facilitation Capacity Building Program is an initiative led by UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), with the support of more than 15 donor countries, regional organizations and development banks.
It has been ten years since the initiative was launched in Khartoum (Sudan), as part of the Trade Facilitation Acceleration Program, funded by the United Kingdom.
This work, a cornerstone of UNCTAD's technical assistance, helps developing countries meet the challenges of modern, increasingly digital global trade.
It also helps accelerate progress worldwide towards the implementation of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA), including through the creation and strengthening of national trade facilitation committees.
“Supply chains that we thought were resilient have proven fragile and we must make trade and investment more inclusive, greener and more sustainable,” says Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan.
“UNCTAD remains fully committed to empowering countries to implement effective, inclusive and climate-smart trade facilitation reforms. »
Assessment of the results and impact of the program over the past decade:
-82 countries in five continents benefiting from adapted interventions.
-More than 3,500 government officials, policymakers and businesses trained using the Trade Facilitation e-learning platform since 2021.
-More than 30 economies are tracking trade facilitation reforms using the UNCTAD Reform Tracker.
-Around 30 countries have implemented trade information portals to enhance transparency and simplify procedures.
Eswatini: better coordination, greater transparency and meaningful reforms
Over the past decade, Eswatini has distinguished itself with trade facilitation reforms that have delivered useful transformations, despite the challenges facing a small landlocked developing country.
The country credits UNCTAD's support for strengthening its National Trade Facilitation Committee (CNFE), despite disruptions linked to civil unrest and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since 2020, UNCTAD has provided tailored capacity building to the Eswatini CNFE, including the establishment of the Reform Tracker tool, as well as work on gap identification and reform planning.
UNCTAD's intensive training for CNFE secretariats and chairs in the region strengthened awareness and structured planning.
From 2025, Eswatini will have a comprehensive trade facilitation roadmap and monitoring plan with 273 planned actions.
Its CNFE currently meets quarterly and coordinates effectively with key trade facilitation stakeholders in the public and private sectors.
The country also implemented 18 provisions of the WTO TFA, bringing its implementation rate to 60%, meeting some targets almost a decade ahead of schedule.
“The Eswatini Trade Facilitation Committee is stronger than ever today. This progress would not have been possible without the support of UNCTAD,” says Khetsiwe Dlamini, Eswatini National Trade Facilitation Committee secretariat.
“International support for trade facilitation committees – particularly in landlocked developing countries – is essential to foster sustainable and fair global trade, and must continue to ensure long-term success. »
International cooperation makes the difference
The success of the Trade Facilitation Capacity Building Program is based on UNCTAD's integrated approach and its close collaboration with partners such as the WTO, the World Customs Organization, the five United Nations regional economic commissions and the International Trade Centre.
The program directly contributes to UNCTAD's mandate reaffirmed in the Geneva Consensus adopted at UNCTAD16, the organizations' quadrennial ministerial conference, to:
-Continue support for the implementation of trade facilitation reforms, including the World Trade Organization Trade Facilitation Agreement, as well as the development and implementation of legal and regulatory frameworks that reduce trade-related transaction costs.
-Strengthen the capacity of national trade facilitation committees and related bodies to better harmonize and coordinate trade facilitation measures at national, regional and global levels.
