The WCO Organized a National Workshop on Single Window and the WCO Data Model in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan from 13 to 17 November 2017 with the support of the State Customs Service of Kyrgyz Republic. In his inaugural speech, the Advisor to Chairman of the State Customs Service of the Kyrgyz Republic Mr. J K Sagynovich, welcomed the WCO technical assistance and capacity building programme to support regulatory agencies in Kyrgyzstan to prepare them for successful implementation and enhancement of National Single Window.  Around 30 officials from the State Customs Service, the Drug Department and the Single Window Centre for Foreign Trade participated in the workshop

The Workshop aimed to provide the cross-border regulatory agencies (CBRAs) concerned with import-export in Kyrgyzstan with the WCO perspective and domain knowledge on the Single Window implementation, taking into account the experiences and best practices from other countries that have successfully implemented similar trade facilitation initiatives. During the workshop, participants discussed the cross border trade regulatory regime in Kyrgyzstan and the related ICT solutions taken up to benefit traders and government with reduced transaction costs and improved efficiency. The WCO experts presented various WCO instruments and tools relevant to trade facilitation that provide guidance to government agencies and private trade partners in developing effective operational procedures in a harmonized manner. Further, WCO experts outlined the concepts of Coordinated Border Management (CBM), Cross Border Regulatory Single Window, Business Process Management, WCO Data Model, Data Harmonization etc. supported by case studies from different countries, highlighting challenges identified and the innovations adopted in the planning and implementation of Single Window projects.

In addition, participants together with experts undertook several exercises on business process modelling using a standardized process modelling method, namely the Unified Modelling Language (UML) to facilitate a consistent and clear understanding of current business processes. The experts also guided the participants regarding exercises on data harmonization and mapping of cross border regulatory data requirements to the WCO Data Model. The participants appreciated the importance of CBM and Single Window as an important approach for managing border that enables a cohesive collaboration among various stakeholders.

At the end of the workshop, the WCO experts together with the participants evaluated the present state of initiatives taken up for planning of Single Window in Kyrgyzstan and made valuable recommendations relating to the enhancement and further development of the Single Window environment in Kyrgyz Republic. The participants felt that the knowledge acquired by them would be also useful to undertake activities on standardization and harmonization of information and development of synchronisation between Single Window mechanisms in the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).

The WCO national workshop on Single Window significantly strengthened the knowledge and capacity of key CBRA officials to effectively plan and implement National Single Window in Kyrgyzstan.