Establishing Well Functioning National Trade Facilitation Bodies (NTFBs)
In the OIC Member States
20
1961 – UNECE Working Party on Facilitation of International Trade Procedures
– WP4
A Working Party on the Simplification and Standardization of External Trade Documents (WP4) was
established in 1961. Subsequent to the creation of WP4 in 1961, many countries set up committees
dedicated to studying – in cooperation with the Working Party – the feasibility of international
standardization of the main export documents.
UN/CEFACT25 has since replaced WP4.
1974 – Recommendation Number 4 – National Trade Facilitation Organs
In 1974, the UN Working Party on Facilitation of International Trade Procedures adopted
Recommendation No. 4 on the subject of “National Trade Facilitation Organs” and “Arrangements at
the National Level to Coordinate Work on Facilitation of Trade Procedures”. At this time, the focus
was on trade procedures, document alignment and EDI. However, as mentioned elsewhere, the focus
of trade facilitation efforts has evolved over time.
Recommendation No. 4 recommended that:
 The Members of the Economic Commission for Europe encourage the implementation of
trade facilitation recommendations through the establishment of national organizations or
committees or by administrative or other suitable means.
 The Commission alert the Economic and Social Council and the other UN Regional Economic
Commissions to the desirability of establishing such national committees in countries that
are not members of the Economic Commission for Europe.
1999 – Recommendation 4 Revised by UNCEFACT26 – National Trade
Facilitation Bodies
In 1999, UNCEFACT updated Recommendation No. 4. At this time, a stronger focus on EDIFACT is
evident.
2000 – Guidelines to Recommendation No. 4 National Trade Facilitation
Bodies: Creating an Efficient Environment for Trade and Transport
These guidelines were prepared by UNCTAD and endorsed by UNCEFACT and published by UNECE.
The notable aspect of these guidelines is the specific attention placed on “transport”. National trade
and transport facilitation committees (NTTFCs) are treated specifically in these guidelines.
2015 – Final Draft for Public Review Recommendation No. 4: National Trade
Facilitation Bodies27
The latest instalment with respect to Recommendation No. 4 is contained in a UNCEFACT document
titled “Final Draft for Public Review Recommendation No. 4: National Trade Facilitation Bodies”. An
emphasis is placed dynamics between government and the business community in this instalment. In
addition to some discussion of the background of NTFBs and related considerations, this document
contains a number of recommendations by UNCEFACT and Guidelines to Recommendation No. 4.28
25 UN Centre for the Facilitation of Procedures and Practices for Administration, Commerce and Transport.
26 See 2001 ECE/TRADE/242.
27 CEFAT/2015/IT001, 30 April 2015.
28 For Guidelines to Recommendation No. 4: National Trade Facilitation Bodies (NTFB), see ibid. p. 5 et seq.