UNECE issues Recommendation on establishing legal framework for Single Window for international trade

The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) issued on 8 October 2010 the second in a suite of recommendations on creating a “Single Window” facility for international trade. Recommendation 35 deals with “Establishing a legal framework for the Single Window”. Developed through the UNECE’s United Nations Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business (UN/CEFACT), the Recommendation offers advice and guidance on the most common legal issues that arise in introducing a Single Window.

Recommendation 35 draws on the experience of various models for a Single Window, documented in the United Nations Single Window Repository (http://www.unece.org/cefact/single_window/welcome.htm), as well as on country experiences throughout the world.  It sets out the main steps and issues for developing an adequate legal framework and provides guidance on legal issues and benchmarking, as well as guidelines for identifying possible gaps in national law that need to be bridged in order to create an effective legal environment for a Single Window.  In two annexes, the Recommendation describes the most common legal issues that should be included in the analysis for developing a Single Window, namely:   

• The basic legal framework
• Electronic documents and messaging
• Archiving
• Electronic evidence
• Data protection and identification
• Authorization  and authentication
• Intellectual property rights.

To provide general legal guidance to countries and the private sector, the Recommendation also refers to the work of other international organizations in electronic commerce and trade law.

News source: UNECE link: article