The geography of trade and supply chain reconfiguration: Implications for trade, global value chains and maritime transport

The Trade and Development Commission

1. Reaffirms the importance of trade facilitation, customs automation, adequate transport infrastructure, services, port management and a conducive legal and regulatory framework and of ensuring the efficiency, sustainability and resilience of trade logistics systems;
    
2. Recognizes with appreciation the capacity-building initiatives carried out by UNCTAD in developing countries on trade facilitation, transit, customs automation, sustainable freight transport, public–private partnerships in logistics, shipping connectivity, supply chain resilience, port management and transport law;
    
3. Recognizes the efforts mobilized by the Automated System for Customs Data (ASYCUDA) Programme to assist member States, including the least developed countries, landlocked developing countries and small island developing States, in automating, harmonizing and simplifying efficient customs procedures and catalysing customs reforms through the use of state-of-the-art technology and proven experience on the field; and notes the appreciation expressed by the beneficiary countries;
    
4. Encourages the ASYCUDA Programme to continue to extend its scope beyond customs automation to facilitating international trade and building electronic-government solutions that connect government agencies, such as assistance in building national single window systems based on advanced technology, including by securing relevant financial resources;
    
5. Notes that the impact of the pandemic on the maritime supply chain has tested the ability of maritime logistics to maintain the efficient flow of global trade, highlighting the importance of resilience, competition, trade facilitation and digitalization, regional trade and logistics cooperation and a just transition towards sustainable shipping;
    
6. Commends UNCTAD on Review of Maritime Transport and other related publications and the importance of their analysis, insights and maritime statistics for sound maritime transport, in particular in view of challenges that arose due to the pandemic;
    
7. Calls upon UNCTAD, in line with the Bridgetown Covenant, to reinforce its work to support the implementation of trade facilitation reforms, including the Agreement on Trade Facilitation of the World Trade Organization, and enhance its support for the development and the implementation of appropriate legal and regulatory frameworks.