The heads of the World Customs Organization (WCO), the Intergovernmental Organisation for International Carriage by Rail (OTIF) and the Organisation for Co-operation between Railways (OSJD) on 15 May 2020 issued a joint statement highlighting the need to facilitate railway transport and railway supply chains in order to mitigate the overall impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Read more...

During the COVID-19 crisis, trade facilitation has emerged as a key factor for promoting international trade efficiency and ensuring the unobstructed flow of goods in a period where restrictions on the movement of persons and goods have escalated for health-protection and disease prevention reasons. Mechanisms adopted to maintain the flow of safe cross border trade are being used as key policy tools by all the nations worldwide to address the challenges brought by the current global pandemic. The World Trade Organisation in 2014 created the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement Facility (TFAF) at the request of developing countries (DCs) and least-developed countries (LDCs), to facilitate the receipt of assistance they need to effectively implement and reap the full benefits of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement, approved by WTO members at the 2013 Bali Ministerial Conference and entered into force on 22 February 2017 following its ratification by two-thirds of the WTO membership. Operational since 27 November 2014, the TFAF has supported so far many DCs and LDCs to assess their specific needs and to identify possible development partners to help them meet those needs.

Read more...