United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE)

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United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
(UNECE)

• UN/CEFACT Single Window Repository
• September 2005
• Tom Butterly
• Deputy Chief, Global Trade Solutions Branch

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Single Window - to enhance the efficient
exchange of information between trade and
government

• A Single Window is a facility that allows parties
  involved in trade and transport to lodge
  standardized information and documents with a
  single entry point to fulfil all import, export,
  and transit-related regulatory requirements. If
  information is electronic, then individual data
  elements should only be submitted once.
• UN/CEFACT Recommendation and Guidelines on
  Establishing a Single Window, http//www.unece.org
  /cefact/recommendations/rec33/rec33_ecetrd352_e.pd
  f

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Single Window Features

• allow traders to lodge standardized information
  and documents with a single entry point to fulfil
  all import, export, and transit-related
  regulatory requirements.
• if information is electronic, then individual
  data elements should only be submitted once.
• sharing of all information in respect of
  international trade transactions
• provide trade related government information
• receive payment of duties and other charges.
• co-ordinate the controls and inspections of the
  various governmental authorities.

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UN/CEFACT Recommendation Number 33

• Recommendation and Guidelines on Establishing a
  Single Window

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UN/CEFACT Single Window Repository

• The Repository Collection of case studies from
  countries that already have operational Single
  Windows.
• Goal to provide countries that are considering
  establishing a SW with concrete examples of the
  operation, costs and benefits of such facilities
  in other countries.
• Format paper publication and on-line Repository,
  updated regularly.
• Publication Case Studies on Implementing a
  Single Window

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UN/CEFACT SW REPOSITORY Case Studies on ..

• Finland
• Germany
• Guatemala
• Hong Kong SAR (China)
• Mauritius

• Malaysia
• Senegal
• Singapore
• Sweden
• United States.

More case studies to come .
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Each SW case is described, following a
standardized template, which covers

• Background
• Establishment
• Services
• Operational Model
• Business Model and Costs
• Technology
• Promotion and Communication

• Judicial aspects
• Standards
• Benefits
• Lessons Learned
• Future Plans
• Source for further information
• Contact details.

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Diversity of SW models adopting to specific
national/regional conditions and requirements

• Financing
• By the State (Finland, Sweden, United States),
• By the private sector (e.g. Guatemala, Germany)
• private-public partnership (e.g. China, Malaysia,
  Mauritius, Senegal, Singapore)
• The use of Single Window
• compulsory (Finland, Guatemala, Mauritius,
  Senegal)
• voluntary (China, Germany, Malaysia, Sweden,
  United States)
• Services
• Free on charge (Finland, Sweden, United States)
• Paid based on various payment schemes (Guatemala,
  Germany, China, Malaysia, Mauritius, Senegal,
  Singapore)

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Costs and Benefits of a Single Window

• Benefits
• Faster clearance and release
• Reduced costs through reducing delays
• More effective and efficient deployment of
  resources
• Predictable application and explanation of rules

• Total implementation costs
• From less than one million US dollars (Guatemala)
  to
• Between 1and 4 million dollars (Finland, Senegal,
  Malaysia).
• In the US, the cost was significantly higher but
  the system is quite extensive and covers many
  additional areas.

Benefits outweigh costs
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Main obstacles in implementation

• Changing the established business and State
  practices (Malaysia, Senegal, Singapore, United
  States)
• Establishing cooperation and commitment of
  various state authorities involved in
  import/export procedures (Finland, USA)
• Modernizing the technologies currently used by
  the State and the private sector (Guatemala), and
  small and medium-sized enterprises, in particular
  (Sweden).

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Key factors for success.

• Strong leadership, which can come from the
  private (Guatemala) or the public sector
  (Malaysia, Senegal, United States, Singapore)
• Cooperation and commitment of all stakeholders,
  private and public (Finland, Mauritius, Malaysia,
  Senegal, United States, Singapore)
• User-friendly system, which do not create
  complications for usual business procedures
  (China, Malaysia, Sweden, Senegal, United States)
• Investments in modern technologies (Guatemala,
  Malaysia)
• Phased, flexible approach (Germany, Mauritius,
  Singapore)
• Neutrality, transparency and reliability of the
  proposed technical solution (Hong Kong SAR
  (China))

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Next Steps

• Meeting in Lyon September 28 to consider common
  standards and interoperability for Single Windows
  various groups of experts
• Workshop in February 2006 on SW Common Standards
  and Interoperability

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UNECE Trade Facilitator Toolkit

• Guidelines for Trade Facilitators how to develop
  national series of trade documents
• Electronic tools for the design of PDF trade
  document forms
• User can edit PDF, print and email documents
• Document forms can be extended for integration
  into United Nations electronic Trade Documents
  (UNeDocs) and Single Window
• UN Form Repository

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Further Information

• Visit
• www.unece.org/cefact
• Or Contact
• Tom Butterly
• Deputy Chief
• Global Trade Solutions Branch
• UNECE
• E-mail tom.butterly_at_unece.org
• Website www.unece.org/trade