United Nation Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific Transport and Tourism Division

Integrated approach to address trade and transport facilitation

UNESCAP is taking an integrated approach to help landlocked and transit countries facilitate trade and transport through a two-year long institutional capacity building project. The project, funded by the Government of Netherlands enables the secretariat to pool the expertise of the Trade and Investment Division, Transport and Tourism Division, and the Infromation, Comunication and Space Technology Division to enhance institutional capacities of the land locked and transit countries and help them benefit better from Globalization. The project focuses on landlocked countries while transit countries will be invited to participate in key activities as cooperation partners to facilitate the implementation of the project.

International trade and transport play a vital role in the economic development of landlocked countries. However, complicated, lengthy and frequently changing procedures and documentation hinderscross border trade as well as transit trade and access to international markets. Duplicate inspections, high charges and transshipment at border control points all add to the tranport and transaction costs of trade.

This interdivisional project aims to assist governments to reduce nonphysical bottlenecks in international trade and transport through the establishment and strengthening of coordination mechanisms amongst stake holders, analysis of transport routes utilizing UNESCAP guidelines and tools and better use of Information and communication technology.

It is anticipated that the following out puts will be discussed and disseminated through national and regional workshops and seminars during the next eighteen months.

a) Publication on good practices in the establishment and strengthening of national trade and transport facilitation committees.

b) Analysis and guidelines on harmonization of legal regimes on trade and transport facilitation including recommendations on expansion of resolution 48 /11 if required.

c) An online data base on trade and transport facilitation conditions of selected landlocked and transit countries.

d) Guidelines on the use of interoperable Information and Communication Technology ICT in simplifying and streamlining border –crossing formalities and procedures.

e) The application of the UNESCAP trade facilitation framework and the cost/time distance model to assist countries in identifying, assessing and reducing bottlenecks in international trade and transport.

Questionnaire on Trade

Questionnaire on Transport

Integrated approach to address trade and transport facilitation


UNESCAP is taking an integrated approach to help landlocked and transit countries facilitate trade and transport through a two-year long institutional capacity building project. The project, funded by the Government of Netherlands enables the secretariat to pool the expertise of the Trade and Investment Division, Transport and Tourism Division, and the Infromation, Comunication and Space Technology Division to enhance institutional capacities of the land locked and transit countries and help them benefit better from Globalization. The project focuses on landlocked countries while transit countries will be invited to participate in key activities as cooperation partners to facilitate the implementation of the project.

International trade and transport play a vital role in the economic development of landlocked countries. However, complicated, lengthy and frequently changing procedures and documentation hinderscross border trade as well as transit trade and access to international markets. Duplicate inspections, high charges and transshipment at border control points all add to the tranport and transaction costs of trade.

This interdivisional project aims to assist governments to reduce nonphysical bottlenecks in international trade and transport through the establishment and strengthening of coordination mechanisms amongst stake holders, analysis of transport routes utilizing UNESCAP guidelines and tools and better use of Information and communication technology.

It is anticipated that the following out puts will be discussed and disseminated through national and regional workshops and seminars during the next eighteen months.

a) Publication on good practices in the establishment and strengthening of national trade and transport facilitation committees.

b) Analysis and guidelines on harmonization of legal regimes on trade and transport facilitation including recommendations on expansion of resolution 48 /11 if required.

c) An online data base on trade and transport facilitation conditions of selected landlocked and transit countries.

d) Guidelines on the use of interoperable Information and Communication Technology ICT in simplifying and streamlining border –crossing formalities and procedures.

e) The application of the UNESCAP trade facilitation framework and the cost/time distance model to assist countries in identifying, assessing and reducing bottlenecks in international trade and transport.


Questionnaire on Trade	Questionnaire on Transport