22 July 2014

On 22 July 2014, the World Customs Organization and a number of other international organizations and development partners (ITC, OECD, UNCTAD, UNECE, UNECLAC, UNESCAP, UNESCWA, WBG) issued a Joint Statement expressing their commitment and coordinated approach to providing technical assistance, capacity building and other forms of assistance to developing, transition and least-developed countries in their efforts to implement the provisions of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA).

The Joint Statement stressed the commitment of international organizations and development partners to assist developing countries by drawing on their respective strengths and areas of expertise and in close collaboration with the WTO and the donor community. In that respect, WTO Director-General Mr. Roberto Azevêdo announced and fully supported the Joint Statement during the launch of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement Facility (TFAF) in Geneva today.

TFA provides a unique opportunity to achieve deep and sustainable trade facilitation reforms that will have a long-lasting and positive impact on developing, transition and least-developed countries’ economies and will enable them to more fully participate in the global economy. The coordinated approach will, amongst other things, greatly assist developing, transition and least-developed countries to reap real and sustainable benefits from the Agreement and will result in stronger economic development for their citizens.

The WCO Secretary General Mr. Kunio Mikuriya stated: "I welcome the commitment of partner organizations and look forward to a coordinated approach and the early implementation of the TFA. The Mercator Programme will assist governments worldwide to implement the TFA expeditiously and in a harmonized manner by using core WCO instruments and tools such as the Revised Kyoto Convention (RKC)."

The WCO’s newly launched Mercator programme provides Members with tailor-made assistance for implementing the TFA and fully corresponds to the overall requirements of Administrations seeking support in their endeavors to comply with the TFA requirements and to reach trade facilitation objectives.