Capacity Building Activities Tom Butterly Deputy Director UNECE Trade and Sustainable Land Management Division.
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Capacity Building Activities Tom Butterly Deputy Director UNECE Trade and Sustainable Land Management Division Capacity Building Activities • Regulatory Cooperation and Standardization • Agricultural Quality Standards • Trade Facilitation Regulatory cooperation (WP.6) • Co-organized an international conference on “Equipment and Services in Explosive Atmospheres” (Dubai, March 2012) – use of international standards • Awareness-raising activities during the WP.6 Annual Sessions: – Workshop on "Traceability: a tool for managing risks" (November 2011), – Panel session on “Standards and regulations as a tool for promoting sustainable development: preparing for Rio +20” (November 2011) – Panel session on: "Promoting Cooperation in Conformity Assessment" (November 2010): how duplicate testing of products can be avoided • Best practice in market surveillance, held as part of the 2010 “CEFTA week” (Belgrade, November 2010) – Panel session Agricultural Quality Standards (WP.7) • 2008 -2011:Worldwide promotion – 30 workshops, seminars, training courses – 1500 participants (producers, traders, quality inspectors) – Trainers/facilitators from 23 countries • Adoption and practical use of UNECE standards (in EurAsEC, Africa, Asia, Latin America) – E.g. 40 UNECE standards adopted by Russian Federation by 2013 – Increased use by producers and traders – Better-quality produce on the market • Broadened the network: experts from 4 continents participate in the UNECE work on standards and explanatory material Agricultural Quality Standards (WP.7) • Modernizing the system of seed potato production and certification in CIS EurAsEC countries (based on the UNECE Standard and expertise) – – – – Transfer modern biotechnological methods Train producers and inspectors Set up production and diagnostics laboratories, train staff Double potato yields in the region More than 1 million euros investment from the private sector 1.5 million euros from the Consolidated Russia/Belarus budget • Impact: improved food security, qualified jobs, higher income Trade Facilitation (UN/CEFACT) • Regional Advisory Services • UN Development Account Activities • Joint UN Regional Commission Approach Regional Advisor services and capacity building • Technical cooperation with the Eurasian Economic Commission / Customs Union of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia (2010-2012): – 5 major studies on the readiness of Russia and the CU for trade facilitation and a Single Window; 5 capacity building events – MoU on cooperation – plus cooperation plan – Results: major project on an Integrated IT system for foreign trade in the CU (1.5 billion roubles budget, 3 pilot projects on port/airport community systems) • Southeast Europe: regional initiative on trade facilitation, the Single Window, and data harmonization (6 meetings since 2006) – 1st phase of a Single Window project in the fYR Macedonia finalized Projects started in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, continued in Serbia – Bilateral Customs transit data exchange agreements Albania- the fYR Macedonia; Albania - Montenegro Regional Advisor services and capacity building • Ukraine: Port community service (Single Window) pilot project 3 CB seminars -> results: • Interagency working group established in Kiev (4 meetings) • PPP joint company established in Odessa (5 June 2012) • Port of Odessa started technical work on the system • Central Asia: Follow up on projects started in 2007-2010 • South Caucasus: support for trade facilitation and Single Window projects -> second regional conference: Tbilisi, 13-15 June 2012. – Trade facilitation and Single Window projects in Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, etc. – SPECA PWG on Trade: projects and Aid for Trade initiative. Project on bilateral Customs transit data exchange between Afghanistan and its SPECA neighbours. – Results: Single Window projects in Azerbaijan and Georgia. Work on data harmonization. UN Development Account United Nations Network of Experts (UNNExT): A joint initiative of UNECE and UNESCAP to build technical capacity and exchange experience and best practice in trade facilitation • The Network of Experts: Network of over 100 Trade Facilitation implementers from transition economies and developing countries – pier to pier support • UNNExT Implementation Guides – Building on UN/CEFACT Recommendations and standards – – – – – Single Window Planning and Implementation Legal Guide to the Implementation of SW Business Process Analysis Guide Document Alignment Guide Data Harmonization Guide UN Development Account • Over thirty workshops and advisory missions: – Single Window Planning for Policy Makers - Geneva – Regional workshop on Business Process Analysis - Baku – Data Harmonization for Cross Border Trade (with WCO) – Central Asia countries – Advisory missions: Mongolia, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, … – Regional network meetings for Central Asian Countries (Baku, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur) • UNNEXT has received additional support from: ADB, GIZ, USAID, WCO, UNCTAD, other UN RCs • Adoption of UNNExT by other UN Regional Commissions Joint UN Regional Commission Approach to Trade Facilitation • Launched by UNRC Executive Secretaries in 2010 • Purpose: Provides a mechanism for UNRCs to speak with one voice on TF Issues - coordinate and collaborate on capacity building initiatives • Rotating Chair amongst UNRCs – UNECE currently the Chair - UNECE provides the Secretariat • Joint UNRC UN Development Account project to support the initiative Joint UN Regional Commission Project Enhancing the participation of developing and transition economies in Global Supply Chains December 2011 Conference - Geneva • 240+ participants • From over 50 countries • All 5 UN Regional Commissions represented • Next step: Road map on Supply Chain Participation for developing countries – Studies plus Regional and Global Conferences Other work … Direct support to UN Member States: • Supporting the Greek Government to develop an integrated Trade Facilitation Strategy – including Single Window (at the request of the European Commission) • Trade Facilitation Implementation Guide (funded by Sida, Sweden) The UNECE integrated approach Change management – prepare organisational, methodological, regulatory, skills set change at all stages of the modernization effort Assess Needs Business Process Analysis Analyse & Prioritise Identify standards Implement Policy Recommendations , Standards & Guides Follow-up Technical Assistance and Capacity Building Consultation - engage the business community at all stages of the modernization effort UNECE UN/CEFACT Recommendations/ Standards/Guides and Implementation Tools - Development and Maintenance UNECE in partnership with other organizations Capacity Building (Awareness raising, Training, Building networks, development of implementation strategies) UNCTAD, World Bank, Regional Development Banks, Donor Agencies, etc Long Term Technical Assistance UNECE does not provide long term TA WTO UNECE’s role is to create the standards through participation of UN member States and the business community in UN/CEFACT Working Groups. We engage in an active Capacity Building programme to help countries understand how best to implement these standards, given their unique needs, priorities and resources while other organizations assist in long – term technical assistance (UNCTAD, WB etc). The WTO sets the rules Thank you! All UNECE publications are available on our website at: www.unece.org/trade Contact: [email protected]