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:
- Commission resolution 68/3: Enabling paperless trade and the cross-border recognition of electronic data and documents for inclusive and sustainable intraregional trade facilitation
- 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
- Report of the Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Meeting on a Regional Arrangement for the Facilitation of Cross-border Paperless Trade
- Terms of Reference of Interim Intergovernmental Steering Group on Cross-border Paperless Trade Facilitation
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:
- make further improvements to the draft text of the regional arrangement on facilitation of cross-border paperless trade as a potential intergovernmental agreement;
- 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
- 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:
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
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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
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Mr. Aung Kyaw Moe, Deputy Director, Customs Department Outstation Division
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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
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Ms. Fololenitina Asau, Principal Policy Analyst, Ministry of Trade & Economic Development
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Ms. Lorraine Mau Kauhenga, Deputy CEO, Ministry of Trade and Economic Development
TURKEY
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Mr. Hakki GURKAN, European Union Expert, Ministry of Trade
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Mr. Elfesiya SEVEN, Assistant European Expert, Ministry of Trade
TURKMENISTAN
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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
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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
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.
- Background document: Preparation of a draft road map
- Draft Road Map for the Implementation of the 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:
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
- Eighth Meeting of Legal and Technical Working Groups, 14 - 16 October 2020 Online
- Seventh Meeting of Legal and Technical Working Groups, 14 - 16 January 2020 Bangkok, Thailand
- Sixth Meeting of Legal and Technical Working Groups, 11 March 2019 Bangkok, Thailand
- Fifth Meeting of Legal and Technical Working Groups, 20 - 21 March 2018 Bangkok, Thailand
- Fourth Meeting of Legal and Technical Working Groups, 21 - 22 March 2017 Bangkok, Thailand
- Third Meeting of Legal and Technical Working Groups, 21 - 23 March 2016 Bangkok, Thailand
- Second Meeting of the Legal and Technical Working Groups, 5-6 November 2015, Bangkok, Thailand
- First Meeting of the Legal and Technical Working Groups, 9-11 September 2015, Bangkok, Thailand
Legal Working Group (LWG)
Technical Working Group (TWG)
References and Related Links
References
- Asia-Pacific Trade Facilitation Report 2019
- Digital Trade Facilitation in Asia and the Pacific
- Paperless Trade in Regional Trade Agreements
- Enhancing Regional Connectivity: Towards a Regional Arrangement for the Facilitation of Cross-border Paperless Trade
- Estimating the Benefits of Cross-Border Paperless Trade
- Facilitating Electronic Commerce in APEC: A Case Study of Electronic Certificate of Origin
- Study on the Readiness of ECO Implementation in Cross-Border Trade in APEC Region
- The Progress of Paperless Trade in Asia and the Pacific: Enabling International Supply Chain Integration
Related Links
- Framework Agreement on Facilitation of Cross-border Paperless Trade in Asia and the Pacific
- Online guide on readiness assessment for cross-border paperless trade
- Cross-border Paperless Trade Database
- Asia Pacific Trade Facilitation Forum (APTFF)
- United Nations Network of Experts for Paperless Trade and Transport Facilitation in Asia and the Pacific (UNNExT)
- Pan-Asian e-Commerce Alliance Supports New UN Treaty on Paperless Trade Facilitation
- India and Republic of Korea sign MoU for mutual recognition of digital signature certificates
- UN Global Survey on Digital and Sustainable Trade Facilitation