UNB, Dhaka :
Three key United Nations agencies have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen their support for developing countries as they are implementing the World Trade Organization’s Trade Facilitation Agreement (WTO TFA), also known as the Bali Agreement.
Under the terms of the MoU, UNCTAD, the International Trade Centre (ITC) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) will leverage their unique strengths, products and services to provide a coordinated and integrated programme of support to developing countries implementing the WTO TFA, according to a message received here from Geneva on Thursday.
“The WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement presents a great opportunity for developing and least developed countries to enhance their participation in the global economy, expand trade and create employment at the local level,” UNCTAD Secretary-General Mukhisa Kituyi said.
“By strengthening our collaboration, we are better positioned to help developing countries realise these potential gains. This is at the core of the work of the United Nations and the WTO TFA is an excellent catalyst to help achieve this goal.”
The three agencies emphasized their longstanding work in the simplification and harmonization of international trade procedures, and the opportunity to enhance trade facilitation implementation in developing countries and least developed countries.
“Our wide range of UN recommendations, standards and tools in trade facilitation are freely available to all UN Member States,” UNECE Executive Secretary Christian Friis Bach said.
ITC Executive Director Arancha González said “This integrated approach will greatly strengthen our capacity to support the business community to benefit from the WTO Agreement.”
Actions will focus initially on assisting countries to establish the necessary institutional arrangements for implementing the agreement – such as setting up national trade facilitation committees – and ensuring that countries are trained in using the various UN recommendations and tools available for implementing the measures in the agreement.
Three key United Nations agencies have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen their support for developing countries as they are implementing the World Trade Organization’s Trade Facilitation Agreement (WTO TFA), also known as the Bali Agreement.
Under the terms of the MoU, UNCTAD, the International Trade Centre (ITC) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) will leverage their unique strengths, products and services to provide a coordinated and integrated programme of support to developing countries implementing the WTO TFA, according to a message received here from Geneva on Thursday.
“The WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement presents a great opportunity for developing and least developed countries to enhance their participation in the global economy, expand trade and create employment at the local level,” UNCTAD Secretary-General Mukhisa Kituyi said.
“By strengthening our collaboration, we are better positioned to help developing countries realise these potential gains. This is at the core of the work of the United Nations and the WTO TFA is an excellent catalyst to help achieve this goal.”
The three agencies emphasized their longstanding work in the simplification and harmonization of international trade procedures, and the opportunity to enhance trade facilitation implementation in developing countries and least developed countries.
“Our wide range of UN recommendations, standards and tools in trade facilitation are freely available to all UN Member States,” UNECE Executive Secretary Christian Friis Bach said.
ITC Executive Director Arancha González said “This integrated approach will greatly strengthen our capacity to support the business community to benefit from the WTO Agreement.”
Actions will focus initially on assisting countries to establish the necessary institutional arrangements for implementing the agreement – such as setting up national trade facilitation committees – and ensuring that countries are trained in using the various UN recommendations and tools available for implementing the measures in the agreement.
