From 29 July to 2 August 2024, the World Customs Organization (WCO) conducted a successful initiation mission to the Customs Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan (CC) in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. This mission officially marked the beginning of the support within the framework of the second phase of the SECO-WCO Global Trade Facilitation Programme (GTFP). The activity aimed at presenting the goals and objectives of GTFP Phase II to all stakeholders and identifying potential topics of support under the Programme (2024-2027).
This mission encompassed bilateral meetings with the Embassy of Switzerland in Uzbekistan, the Customs Committee, and the private sector to discuss the GTFP goals in Phase II, national trade facilitation priorities, and ongoing initiatives in the country.
On 30 July, the GTFP Team facilitated a collaborative workshop to identify areas of support and develop an initial country project roadmap integrating the vision and perspectives of the CC, Cross-border Regulatory Agencies and the private sector. The activity gathered 17 representatives from various sectors, including the Customs Committee, the National Agency of Plant Protection and Quarantine, the State Committee of Veterinary and Livestock and the Association of Customs Brokers.
In addition to this, technical meetings were conducted with the CC while discussing crucial topics for the country, such as Strategic Planning, Gender, Integrity, Training on Artificial Intelligence, Authorized Economic Operator (AEO), Risk Management, E-commerce, and Time Release Study (TRS).
The GTFP assistance in Uzbekistan under its first phase (2021-2023) had a remarkable impact on the Customs Administration’s trade facilitation performance that was improved by 19,8%, from 0.71 in 2019 to 0.85 in 2022 (OECD TF Indicators). Additionally, the World Bank’s LPI score for the country ascended 11 places with a 23.8% increase in Customs score, from 2.1 in 2018 to 2.6 in 2023. The country also increased its compliance with the World Trade Organization Trade Facilitation Agreement (WTO TFA) Articles 7.5 and 7.6.
The Secretariat for Economic Affairs of Switzerland (SECO) and the WCO are delighted to continue building on the GTFP achievements in Uzbekistan, supporting the Customs Committee on its path to WTO accession and its efforts to implement sustainable and transparent Customs reforms, applying international standards and best practices regarding trade facilitation.
For more information on the GTFP, please contact capacity.building@wcoomd.org.