Over the past year we have been continually reporting on our active participation in discussions hosted by the United Nations (UN) intergovernmental body dealing with global trade efficiency and the use of IT in the supply chain sector. The United Nations Center for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business (UN/CEFACT) was established by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), and for decades has focused on the facilitation of national and international transactions through the simplification and harmonization of processes, procedures, and information flows, aiding the growth of global commerce. There are approximately 300 experts representing every region of the world contributing to UN/CEFACT projects, and we are excited to be a part of these discussions and share the latest information with our customers and partners.
Last month, our VP, Rajiv Garg, attended the 32nd conference in Hangzhou, China. The event featured 7 main topics for attendees:
IoT in Trade Facilitation Use Cases and Examples of Implementation Looked at examples of implementations of Internet of Things (IoT) in facilitating trade in areas such as agriculture, transportation, regulatory, supply chain and benefits that were derived from such implementation.
Blockchain in Trade Facilitation: Looking Toward Implementation Discussion focused on the implementation of blockchain in trade facilitation.
Showcasing of Transport & Logistics Deliverables: Concrete Applications of Trade Facilitation Through Automation Showcased of published deliverables and on-going projects of the transport and logistics sector within UN/CEFACT, providing explanations on how the standards function as well as returns of experience from implementers.
Showcase UN/CEFACT Semantic Specifications in a Way That Suits Implementers of Web Platforms Moderated by Vilden VP Rajiv Garg, this conference discussed and created actionable items towards the facilitation and support of the efforts of all UN/CEFACT supply chain related projects to deliver their semantic specifications in a way that suits implementer of web platforms and pipeline/IoT projects as well as traditional document exchange projects
Towards a Circular Economy - Traceability and Transparency for Sustainable Value Chains (Use Cases and Examples of Implementation) This round table discussion provided a mutual learning space where experts exchanged experiences, proposed solutions to identified problems and anticipated future developments to advance sustainable value chains for a circular economy.
Cross-border eCommerce Explored the current state of eCommerce and the inherent challenges faced in this type of trade.
UN/LOCODE Advisory Group Meeting 2018 Discussed the current difficulties, challenges and key concerns of the maintenance of UN/LOCODE.
Vilden Associates, Inc. took a more active role in this forum, with Rajiv assuming the position of Domain Coordinator of experts in international supply chain management and taking part in his first moderator role for one of the main topics/discussions at the Hangzhou conference. Another major development from this forum was the participation of some of the larger shipping alliances and major technology corporations. Their interest is in the ongoing development of standards for new technologies that facilitate visibility and data exchange in the supply chain industry. By participating in these forums, we gain insight into evolving technologies and shape global standards that will help simplify the supply chain and international trade. We will use this expertise to enhance our products and to keep our customers current on industry trends. We are looking forward to our new role at UN/CEFACT and will be providing another update soon, stay tuned.