National Committee on Trade Facilitation

1
National Committee on Trade Facilitation
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Origin of the proposal

• National Group that follows up on the WTO
  negotiation
• WTO Committee (W/157)
• Report of self-assessment activity
• Explore possibility to have a provision in the
  agreement
• Consultations were carried out on the idea

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Proposal

• In order to facilitate the process of domestic
  coordination of trade facilitation needs,
  priorities and implementation, Members shall
  establish a national committee or a similar
  mechanism on trade facilitation with the
  objective of assisting in the implementation of
  the Agreement on Trade Facilitation.

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What the proposal entails

• The commitment or obligation is to establish a
  National Committee or a similar mechanism.
• What for?
• Facilitate domestic coordination.
• To assist in the implementation of the different
  trade facilitation measures.

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The proposal does not deal with ...

• Who the stakeholders should be.
• Who should coordinate the process.
• The legal structure of committee.
• Up to each member to decide.

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Suggestions from the last meeting

• Counterproposal Replace "shall establish" by
  "shall maintain"

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 Counterproposal Add "or designate an existing
mechanism, body or committee" after "mechanism"
so that the paragraph reads "In order to
facilitate the process of domestic coordination
of trade facilitation needs, priorities and
implementation, Members shall establish a
national committee or a similar mechanism on
trade facilitation or designate an existing
mechanism/body/Committee, with the objective of
assisting in the implementation of the Agreement
on Trade Facilitation."
8
Counterproposal Rephrase sentence to read "In
order to facilitate the process of domestic
coordination of trade facilitation needs,
priorities and implementation of the Agreement on
Trade Facilitation, Members shall establish a
national committee or a similar mechanism on
trade facilitation."
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Other issues

• Notification to the WTO Committee??
• Relationship with the proposal on border
  coordination, if any,
• Possible colaboration with other National or
  Regional Committees
• Role of regional and international organizations
  in providing TA/CB

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Thank you