Under the sponsorship of the China Customs Cooperation Fund (CCF China) and in partnership with the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN/ESCAP) and the Eurasian Economic Commission, a Sub-Regional Workshop titled “Trade Facilitation, Promoting Inclusive Trade through Innovation and Technology: the Roles of E-Commerce, Trade Finance, and National Single Window Environments” has been hosted in Yerevan by the Customs Administration of Armenia from 11 to 13 June 2019. The Workshop was aimed at strengthening Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) Members and Central Asian countries’ capacity to grasp the opportunities that technology and innovation offer in unlocking the gains from the seamless flow of goods across borders and towards developing a harmonized approach in implementation and interoperability of Single Window solutions.

In his opening remarks, Mikael Pashayan, Deputy Chairman of the State Revenue Committee of the Republic of Armenia welcomed the participants and facilitators and highlighted the steps taken to promote trade facilitation, as well as the key role that innovative solutions play in the development of paperless trade.

Participating representatives from Customs and other cross-border regulatory agencies, as well as private sector representatives showcased national and regional experiences in digital trade facilitation, including cross-border e-commerce/paperless initiatives, regional interoperability, harmonization on business processes, information exchange, and single window project implementation.

Taking stock of the complementary perspective of each partner organization, a rich discussion was held on several aspects of trade facilitation, inclusive growth, innovation and technology, with a particular emphasis on the single window environment and the development of a viable e-commerce ecosystem based on a holistic approach and concerted efforts.