Vanuatu leading Pacific in digitising customs and biosecurity clearance
Vanuatu’s new online customs system is off to a timely and successful start, as COVID’s physical distancing requirements disrupt manual systems.
Blockchain and LDC trade during COVID-19
Many LDC governments have made huge progress with digitalisation. With nimbleness and openness to innovation, ecommerce gains in LDCs can be further improved with blockchain.
In the world’s poorest countries, the move to digitalize trade procedures is needed now more than ever
Paperless trade offers benefits like reduced transaction costs, increased regulatory compliance and more. Least developed countries (LDCs) are lagging behind, with only 45% of LDCs in Asia and the Pacific implementing paperless trade measures. Assessments of four LDCs found limited legal rules, lack of electronic systems and more.
How to engage businesses in international development
Incentivising businesses to participate in international development means first and foremost understanding companies’ motivations. Key success factors are: finding where business and development goals align, communicating a purpose that matches with corporate values, showcasing existing business partnerships to build credibility and attract new companies through peer groups, and acting as a neutral facilitator between government and the private sector.
Unpacking COVID-19-related medical supply chains in Commonwealth LDCs
Although LDCs are home to 13.3% of the world’s population, their share of COVID-19-related medical imports is just 1%. Commonwealth LDCs source around half of their medical supplies from other Commonwealth members; and these countries supply around one-third of COVID-19-related medical supplies to the other 33 non-Commonwealth LDCs. Ramping up globalised production and a coordinated approach for equitable distribution of these supplies could help LDCs to mitigate the current outbreak and future infections.
Annex D+ TFA Implementation Support During COVID-19
This document provides updates on the TFA implementation support activities that are being carried out by the TFAF and our partner organizations during this pandemic.
IPPC ePhyto Solutions
This website describes how the IPPC Community can exchange phytosanitary certificates electronically. Although not specifically related to COVID-19 there have been a number of examples of how the increased use of IPPC ePhyto Solution has facilitated trade during the COVID-19 situation. For example, electronic exchange reduces the need to have human interactions, thus reducing the risk of transmission of the virus by decreasing the number of times documents need to change hands.
IPPC Community Five key messages for COVID-19
This webpage provides some key messages and guidance to the IPPC Community for Mitigating Impacts of COVID-19. Messages from the IPPC Secretariat as well as a few messages from some NPPOs are also posted here.
IMPACCT Working Group: Cross-border movement of humanitarian relief consignments
This page provides information on Importation and Customs clearance procedures for countries affected by the COVID-19 pandemic as well as useful resources from the IMPACCT WG partners such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Customs Organization (WCO), among others.
Regions: Africa, America, Asia, Europe, MENA, Oceania
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Social distancing guidelines issued for a safe and green recovery
To support the implementation of such measures, IRU has issued guidelines on deconfinement and social distancing for collective passenger transport.
ILO backs road transport recovery plan
The International Labour Organisation (ILO)’s sectoral brief published this week supports IRU’s COVID-19 recovery recommendations, and acknowledges the road transport sector as a key driver of global economic recovery.
TIR: protecting supply chains in a pandemic
While the pandemic has shed light on the indispensable nature of commercial road transport operators, it has also brought into sharper focus some of the industry’s key trade facilitation tools and their contribution to global economic recovery.