WCO successfully facilitated a five day workshop to support Sudan’s National Committee on Trade Facilitation (NCTF) in Khartoum from 29 May to 2 June, 2016. The workshop was organized in collaboration with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), in the framework of the HMRC-WCO-UNCTAD Capacity Building Programme, which supports the sustainable implementation of the WTO Agreement on Trade Facilitation (TFA). The mission was made possible with the generous financial support of the Government of the United Kingdom through Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC).

Recognizing the important role of NCTFs in coordinating TFA implementation (Article 23.2 of the TFA), the HMRC-WCO-UNCTAD Programme prioritizes support to these structures through sustained and progressive engagement. This support is framed in a structured NCTF support programme that can be adapted according to the specific situation of each country, using the principles of the WCO’s TFA Implementation Guidance (http://www.wcoomd.org/en/topics/wco-implementing-the-wto-atf/atf.aspx).

This second NCTF support workshop for Sudan brought together a broad audience of 31 participants from Sudan Customs as well as, the public and private sector stakeholders including 18 core members of Sudan’s NCTF. The aim of the workshop was to provide an introduction to different methods used to measure and implement trade facilitation, including presentations on the WCO Time Release Study (TRS), risk management across stakeholder groups, e-commerce and Single Window. Group exercises provided participants with the opportunity to create a Trade Facilitation Profile for Sudan based on available data. Moreover, participants had the opportunity to visit the Soba Dry Port in Khartoum and exchange views with Port Authorities on trade facilitation challenges and solutions. As a result of the workshop, the NCTF in Sudan is now better positioned to measure, implement and monitor TFA-related reforms in Sudan. The third module of the NCTF Support Programme, ‘Strengthening NCTF and Establishing a Trade Facilitation Roadmap’ is scheduled to take place in August 2016. The WCO looks forward to continued close collaboration with Sudan.