ESCWA is launching the "Global Survey on Trade Facilitation and Paperless Trade Implementation" in collaboration with other UN commissions (Economic Commission for Africa, the Economic Commission Economic, Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean and the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific) and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and strongly encourages experts from the ESCWA region interested in sharing their expertise and knowledge on different aspects of trade facilitation and paperless trade in their country to participate in the survey through the following link:

http://eSurv.org?u=TradeFacilitation_ESCWASurvey

or alternatively download a hard copy of the questionnaire
and send the filled version to the following E-mail address: kharbotli@un.org.




The purpose of the global survey is to collect relevant data and information on trade facilitation and paperless trade implementation from all countries. Outcomes of the survey including joint UN Regional Commissions (UNRC) global report, envisaged to be available in 2015, will enable the countries to better understand and monitor progress in trade facilitation, support evidence-based policy-making, provide a cross-regional knowledge sharing platform, and further strengthen south-south cooperation.

The global survey will be mainly conducted through a questionnaire, supplemented by desk research, and, if necessary, followed up by face-to-face or telephone interviews for data and information clarification and verification. The questionnaire will be sent by the UNRCs to their respective focal government agencies and/or selected experts, starting October 2014. Compiling the survey responses, verifying data, constructing databases and writing study reports will take place from the time the survey is dispersed to mid-2015. The final study report is expected to be published by mid-2015.

For further details, clarifications or questions, please do not hesitate to contact First Economic Affairs Officer at the Economic Development and Globalization Division Adel Alghaberi: al-ghaberi@un.org

(Picture from ESCAP Website)