Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation

The project

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 and productivity.

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

By emphasising digitisation and delivering other best practices, the projects enable businesses to trade more easily thanks to streamlined and more predictable processes. Governments save time and resources by modernising trade procedures while still safeguarding their borders. Ultimately, the projects boost trade competitiveness and business conditions, which are key drivers of inclusive economic growth and poverty reduction.

The Alliance is led by the Center for International Private Enterprise, the International Chamber of Commerce, and the World Economic Forum, in cooperation with Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). It is funded by the governments of the United States, Canada, Germany, and Denmark. 

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
  This 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 mindset to identify trade issues such as customs delays and unnecessary red-tape at borders, and design and implement targeted reforms. 

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.