60 registered participants from 24 Member administrations participated in the WCO Americas and Caribbean Regional Online Workshop on the World Trade Organization (WTO) Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA), which took place from 7 to 9 June 2022. The Workshop was organized with the financial support of the WCO Customs Cooperation Fund (CCF) Reserve Fund.
This was the third workshop in the new round of regional workshops, launched in 2021 four years after the entry in to force of the TFA in 2017. The workshop kick off with updates on the latest developments regarding the TFA. It also focused on the success stories and the challenges Members are facing in implementing the TFA, as well as forms of support provided through the WCO Mercator Programme. The Workshop also explored how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the international trade facilitation agenda. Participants had the opportunity to discuss implementation monitoring methods at a national level by using WCO tools such as the Mercator Maturity Model and the Time Release Study. Integrity in implementing the WTO TFA was another topic covered at the workshop.
With a total of 33 presentations from 22 Member administrations, the WTO and the WCO, participants had an opportunity to learn about the different national practices in implementing various TFA measures and to learn more about the WCO instruments and tools that support implementation of the TFA. Furthermore, two Mercator Programme Advisors (MPAs) provided their insights and facilitated the Workshop alongside the WCO experts.
A number of key lessons were drawn from the workshop, such as the need the active involvement of the private sector and the need to leverage technology to manage the supply chain effectively. Finally, the important role of Customs in National Trade facilitation Committees (NCTFs) and enhanced collaboration within the NCTFs came out as critical, especially for accelerating the implementation of border agency cooperation.
The regional online workshops on the WTO TFA will continue within the MENA and Europe regions.