Interim Intergovernmental Steering Group on Cross-border Paperless Trade Facilitation

Meeting -- Interim Intergovernmental Steering Group on Cross-border Paperless Trade Facilitation

Introduction

The Interim Intergovernmental Steering Group on Cross-border Paperless Trade Facilitation was established by ESCAP Commission Resolution 70/6: Implementation of the decision of the Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Meeting on a Regional Arrangement for the Facilitation of Cross-border Paperless Trade. The mandate of the Steering Group is outlined in the following documents: 

The Interim Intergovernmental Steering Group on Cross-border Paperless Trade Facilitation was established by ESCAP Commission Resolution 70/6: Implementation of the decision of the Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Meeting on a Regional Arrangement for the Facilitation of Cross-border Paperless Trade. 

The Steering Group is mandated to:

  1. make further improvements to the draft text of the regional arrangement on facilitation of cross-border paperless trade as a potential intergovernmental agreement;
  2. prepare a draft road map for the implementation of substantive provisions in the draft text of the regional arrangement on facilitation of cross-border paperless trade; and
  3. other functions as agreed by the Steering Group.

Update: The draft text was finalized during the second meeting of the Steering Group held on 23-25 March 2016. It was subsequently adopted at the 72nd session of the ESCAP Commission in the Commission Resolution 72/4 on 19 May 2016. The adopted text can be found in the annex of Commission Resolution 72/4, which is available here:

https://www.unescap.org/resources/framework-agreement-facilitation-cross-border-paperless-trade-asia-and-pacific

Meetings of the Steering Group

National Focal Points to Resolutions 68/3 and 70/6

(As of 17 September 2022)

MEMBERS

AZERBAIJAN

  • Mr. Igbal Babayev, Deputy Chairman, State Customs Committee
  • Mr. Vusal Gasimli, Executive director of the Center for Analysis of Economic Reforms and Communication

BANGLADESH

  • Mr. Md.Abdus Samad Al Azad, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Commerce
  • Mr. Md Selim Hossen, Deputy Secretary, Ministry of Commerce 

BHUTAN

  • Ms. Kinley Yangzom, Chief Trade Officer, Export Promotion Division, Department of Trade, Ministry of Economic Affairs

CAMBODIA

  • Mr. Sok Sopheak, Secretary of State, Ministry of Commerce
  • Mr. Suon Prasith, Deputy Director General of International Trade, Ministry of Commerce

CHINA

  • Ms. WEI Qing, Deputy Director, Ministry of Commerce
  • Mr. Minghua Ren, Deputy Director of the Department of International Trade and Economic Affairs, Ministry of Commerce PRC Trade and Investment
  • Ms. Yi Du, Third Secretary of the Department of International Trade and Economic Affairs, Ministry of Commerce PRC Trade and Investment

FRANCE

  • Mr. Hubert Colaris, Economic Counsellor, French Embassy in Bangkok

GEORGIA

  •  Mr. Noshrevan Lomtatidze, Deputy Director, Department for International economic Relations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

INDIA

  • Sh. Anand Bhaskar, Deputy Secretary, Trade Facilitation Desk, Trade Policy Division, Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce & Industry

INDONESIA

  • Mr. Farid Amir, Director of APEC and International Organization Negotiations, Ministry of Trade

ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN

  • Mr. Amin Kolahdoozan, President, Iran Center for e-Commerce Development (ICeCD), Ministry of Industry, Mines and Trade

  • Ms. Mahsa Nooridaryan, Head of International Relations, Iran Center for e-Commerce Development (ICeCD), Ministry of Industry, Mines and Trade

JAPAN

  • Mr. Hitoshi Kozaki, Head of International Organization Department and Deputy Permanent Representative to ESCAP, Embassy of Japan
  • Mr. Fumihiko Goto, Counsellor and DPR of Japan to ESCAP, Embassy of Japan
  • Mr. Toru Terai, First Secretary and Alternate PR of Japan to ESCAP, Embassy of Japan

KIRIBATI

  • Mr. Toani Barao, Secretary, Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Cooperatives

KAZAKHSTAN

  • Ms. Ardak Seiit, Head of the Division of E-commerce Development of Digitalization Department, Ministry of Trade and Integration

KYRGYZSTAN

  • Mr. Zhyldyzbek Zhumakov, Head Specialist, Department of Trade Policy, Ministry of Economy

LAO PEOPLE’S DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC

  • Office of TF Secretariat, Department of Import and Export, Ministry of Industry and Commerce

MALAYSIA

  • Ms. Jamaliah Hamzah, Director, Ministry of International Trade and Industry

MALDIVES

  • Mr. Yusuf Riza, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Economic Development

MONGOLIA

  • Ms. Ariunaa Adiya, Counselor, Department of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

MYANMAR

  • Ms. Sabai Oo, Deputy Director, Central Statistical Organization

  • Mr. Aung Kyaw Moe, Deputy Director, Customs Department Outstation Division 

  • Daw Zami Tin, Deputy Director, Department of Trade

  • Mr. Si Thu Soe, Assistant Director, Department of Trade

NEPAL

  • Mr. Amrit Lamsal, Under-Secretary, Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies

NETHERLANDS

  • Mrs. Guusta Visser, Customs Attache, Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands

PAKISTAN

  • Ms. Aisha Humeva Moriani, Joint Secretary WTO, Ministry of Commerce & Textile
  • Mr. Owais Hussain Farooqi, Section Officer (WTO-I), Ministry of Commerce & Textile

PAPUA NEW GUINEA

  • Mr. Raphael Uranguai, Director, Trade Development & Promotion Branch, Trade Division, Department of Trade, Commerce & Industry

PHILIPPINES 

  • Mr. Jonathan Tandingan Soriano, OIC-Director, Technology Management Service, Management Information System and Technology Group (MISTG), Bureau of Customs
  • Ms. Rhoan Perez Escarmosa, Customs Operations Officer III, Bureau of Customs

REPUBLIC OF KOREA

  • Mr. Inwon Park, Deputy Director, Ministry of Economy and Finance

RUSSIAN FEDERATION

  • Ms. Maria Sokolova, Officer, Department of Multilateral Economic Cooperation and Special Projects, Ministry of Economic Development

SAMOA

  • Ms. Nella Tavita-Levy, Assistant Chief Executive Officer, Trade Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade

SOLOMON ISLANDS

  • Mr. George Tuti, Director of External Trade, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade

SRI LANKA

  • Mr. Sudattha Silva, Deputy Director of Customs, Sri Lanka Customs 
  • Mr. Shamsudeen Niyaz, Additional Director General of Customs, Sri Lanka Customs

TAJIKISTAN

  • Mr. Dilshod Sharifi, Head of International Cooperation Department, Ministry of Economic Development and Trade

THAILAND

  • Ms. Ben Chamkrom, Customs Technical Officer, Professional Level, Thai Customs Department

TIMOR-LESTE

  • Mr. Leonardo Guterres De Carvalho, National Director of External Trade, Ministry of Commerce
  • Mr. Marcio Rosa Lay, National Director for Foreign Trade, Ministry of Tourism, Commerce & Industry

TONGA

  • Ms. Fololenitina Asau, Principal Policy Analyst, Ministry of Trade & Economic Development

  • Ms. Lorraine Mau Kauhenga, Deputy CEO, Ministry of Trade and Economic Development

TURKEY

  • Mr. Hakki GURKAN, European Union Expert, Ministry of Trade

  • Mr. Elfesiya SEVEN, Assistant European Expert, Ministry of Trade

TURKMENISTAN

  • Mr. Myrat Myradov, Head of Legal Regulations and Coordination, Foreign Economic Relations Division, Foreign Economic Relations Department, Ministry of Trade and Foreign Economic Relations

TUVALU

  • Mr. Falaoa Sione, Head of Department of Trade, Ministry of Fisheries and Trade

USA

  • Mr. Benjamin A. Yates, Second Secretary and Deputy Permanent Representative to ESCAP

UZBEKISTAN

  • Ms. Narghiza Alimdjanovna Zufarova, Head of Department for Tariff and Non-tariff Regulation, Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Tashkent

VANUATU

  • Mr. Kevin Lai, Permanent Representative of Vanuatu to ESCAP

VIET NAM

  • Ms. Hang Thanh Bui Thi, Head of International Cooperation Division, E-commerce and Digital Economy Agency, Ministry of Industry and Trade
  • Mr. Phuc The Le, Official of International Cooperation Division, E-commerce and Digital Economy Agency, Ministry of Industry and Trade

ASSOCIATE MEMBERS

AMERICAN SAMOA

  • Mr.  Lelei Peau, Acting Director, Department of Commerce

HONG KONG, CHINA

  • Ms. Diana Lee, Trade Officer, Regional Cooperation Division, Trade and Industry Department

MACAO, CHINA

  • Mr. Hoi Kin Lam, Head of Foreign Trade Division, Economic and Technological Development Bureau
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Working Documents

The Steering Group on Cross-Border Paperless Trade Facilitation works on the preparation of a draft road map and supporting documents for the implementation of substantive provisions in the Framework Agreement on Facilitation of Cross-border Paperless Trade in Asia and the Pacific.

The Legal and Technical Working Groups (LTWGs), under the guidance of the Steering Group, are developing supporting documents. The list of supporting documents currently developed by the LTWGs are as follows:

Title of support documents Version and dates Relevant articles of the Framework Agreement
Cross-border paperless trade: a legal readiness checklist 0.9 as of 5 March 2019 Article 12
Cross-border paperless trade: a technical readiness checklist 0.9 as of 5 March 2019 Article 12
Cross-border paperless trade: a legal readiness checklist 1.0 as of 21 August 2020 Article 12
Cross-border paperless trade: a technical readiness checklist 1.0 as of 5 May 2020 Article 12
Capacity Building Strategy 0.3 as of 17 January 2018 Article 14
References to International Legal Frameworks and Best Practices 0.2 as of 17 January 2018 Articles 6 and 10
International Standards and Guidelines Implementation Framework 0.4 as of 17 January 2018 Article 9
Annex 1 to the International Standards Implementation Framework 0.4 as of 17 January 2018 Article 9
Draft Terms of References and Rules of Procedures for the Paperless Trade Council and the Standing Committee 0.8 as of 17 January 2018 Article 11
Template for Individual Action Plan 0.1 as of 5 March 2019 Article 12
Template for Individual Action Plan rev 1 0.2 as of 16 January 2020 Article 12
Draft Reference Map for Cross-border Paperless Trade Processes 0.9 as of 17 January 2018 Article 13
Template for Initiating (Pilot) Cross-border Electronic Data Exchange 0.2 as of 16 October 2019 Article 13
An example of completed template for Initiating (Pilot) Cross-border Electronic Data Exchange 0.5 as of 16 October 2019 Article 13
Template for sharing lessons learnt from pilot projects 0.2 as of 16 October 2019 Article 13
Mechanism for cross-border mutual recognition of trade-related data and documents in electronic form 0.3 as of 5 March 2019 Article 8
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Working Groups Activities

The Legal Working Group (LWG) and Technical Working Group (TWG) were created by the Interim Intergovernmental Steering Group on Cross-border Paperless Trade Facilitation in its first meeting on 1-3 April 2015 to expedite delivery of its mandated tasks with participation and contribution of designated group of officials and experts.

Comprising of officially nominated members, the two working groups continuously work on their delegated tasks of improving the draft text of the regional arrangement and preparing a draft road map for implementation of the regional arrangement. The two working groups, in carrying out their tasks, hold regular physical and virtual meetings and communicate their views and comments among members using group mail. During physical meetings, the working groups have combined sessions to coordinate their works.

Terms of reference of the Legal and Technical Working Groups

 

Legal Working Group (LWG)

 

Technical Working Group (TWG)

Virtual Meetings* Dates Summary of Meeting 
First meeting 14 October 2015 Summary of the First Virtual Meeting of the TWG
Second meeting 28 October 2015 Summary of the Second Virtual Meeting of the TWG
Third meeting 25 November 2015 Summary of the Third Virtual Meeting of the TWG
Fourth meeting 9 December 2015 Summary of the Fourth Virtual Meeting of the TWG
Fifth meeting 6 January 2016 Summary of the Fifth Virtual Meeting of the TWG
Sixth meeting 27 January 2016 Summary of the Sixth Virtual Meeting of the TWG
Seventh meeting 17 February 2016 Summary of the Seventh Virtual Meeting of the TWG
Eighth meeting 9 March 2016 Summary of the Eighth Virtual Meeting of the TWG
Ninth meeting 27 April 2016 Summary of the Ninth Virtual Meeting of the TWG
Tenth meeting 25 May 2016 Summary of the Tenth Virtual Meeting of the TWG
Eleventh meeting 27 July 2016 Summary of the Eleventh Virtual Meeting of the TWG
Twelfth meeting 31 August 2016 Summary of the Twelfth Virtual Meeting of the TWG
Thirteenth meeting 5 October 2016 Summary of the Thirteenth Virtual Meeting of the TWG
Fourteenth meeting 23 November 2016 Summary of the Fourteenth Virtual Meeting of the TWG
Fifteenth meeting 25 January 2017 Summary of the Fifteenth Virtual Meeting of the TWG
Sixteenth meeting 22 February 2017 Summary of the Sixteenth Virtual Meeting of the TWG
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