News

Global NTFC Forum 2022

Summary

Updated on : 14-02-2022

UNCTAD successfully organized the “GLOBAL FORUM 2022 for National Trade Facilitation Committees” and partner with GATF, ITC, OECD, UNECE, UNESCAP, WBG and WTO, and members countries’ National Trade Facilitation Committees (NTFCs). The Forum is being held from 1 to 4 February 2022 in a virtual mode and led by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). It has brought together more than 500 participants, around half of which are members of their NTFCs.

In the high-level opening session, the speakers agreed on the need to ensure well-functioning, holistic and dynamic NTFCs, with their critical role in facilitating trade especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, through collaborative arrangements amongst all relevant public and private sector stakeholders. Embracing digital tools, the e-commerce growth and the importance of MSMEs and women traders were also highlighted by the speakers.

The speakers all agreed on the importance of trade facilitation during the COVID-19 pandemic recovery phase. Through simplifying and standardizing border procedures and creating transparent and predictable conditions for trade, Customs administrations facilitate legitimate business that, in turn, increases economic growth and job opportunities

The Forum successfully held 8 sessions, and provided in the following topics, 26 types of presentations were presented by the NTFCs of 24 member countries, the Ministry of Trade and Economy and Customs Administration “A global overview on the WTO TFA implementation despite the pandemic situation; Tangible solutions and approaches to empower NTFCs as coordinators of trade facilitation reforms; Measuring and monitoring the implementation of Trade Facilitation Reforms; NTFCs in emergency situations: lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic; NTFCs role in mainstreaming digital trade facilitation solutions; How can NTFCs become promoters of gender equality in trade facilitation policies?; The role of NTFCs in emerging issues: simplification of procedures, cross-border cooperation, and e-commerce.

The main feature of the forum is that the presentations on each topic are drawn in multimedia format and distributed to the public on YOUTUBE platform.

Under the title of "Mongolia’s trade facilitation response to the COVID-19 pandemic", the Mongolian Customs shared best practice during the pandemic and Mongolia’s digital response to covid or any other emergency situations.