Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation

International trade has been recognised by the UN as an engine for inclusive economic growth and poverty reduction, and an important means to achieve the SDGs. Trade facilitation can reduce costs, increase opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and spark competitiveness, productivity, innovation and growth.

Swisscontact supports the co-creation and implementation of trade facilitation projects in Bangladesh, Cambodia and Uganda.

Approach:

• Establishing public-private dialogues on trade facilitation Working with governments, businesses and international organisations to create the right environment for trade reforms that respond directly to business needs.
• Delivering country trade facilitation projects
  The project is working on the ground in developing and least developed countries to make international trade simpler, faster and more cost-effective. Tackling trade barriers with a business mind-set to identify trade issues such as customs delays and unnecessary red-tape at borders, and design and implement targeted reforms that deliver commercially quantifiable results.

Expected results:

• Building on sustainable public-private partnerships and inclusive multi-stakeholder dialogues on trade facilitation reform
• Delivering commercially measurable trade facilitation reforms
• Capturing lessons learnt from trade facilitation reform through monitoring and evaluation and sharing best practices will encourage more governments and businesses to identify and pursue meaningful reforms.