As global trade faces intensifying geoeconomic tensions and growing demands for credible sustainability reporting, countries are under increasing pressure to modernize how goods move, how data is shared, and how value chains demonstrate transparency and accountability. At the same time, landlocked and transit economies continue to shoulder disproportionately high trade costs, while digital divides risk excluding small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), women and youth from emerging economic opportunities.

Addressing these challenges requires interoperable digital systems for data exchange, well-connected trade and transport corridors, and trusted sustainability reporting frameworks that enable market access. These issues were at the centre of discussions at the recent 44th UN/CEFACT Forum, held in Dakar and Saly, Senegal.

More than 460 experts, both in person and online, from 59 countries participated in the Forum.  Hosted by the Senegalese Customs Agency, with the support of GAINDE2000, it was organized in conjunction with the National Trade Facilitation Conference of Senegal and the International Single Window Conference.

In their opening statements, the Executive Secretaries of the two partnering UN Regional Economic Commissions, UNECE and UNECA, highlighted both progress achieved and persistent implementation gaps.

UNECE Executive Secretary Tatiana Molcean underscored that while the global implementation of overall digital and sustainable trade facilitation measures has reached 72%, cross-border paperless trade remains significantly underdeveloped at only 47%, limiting the full benefits of digitalization. This gap reflects the fact that, although policies and legal frameworks are increasingly in place, many countries have yet to operationalize interoperable systems that enable seamless electronic exchange of trade data across borders, resulting in continued reliance on paper-based procedures and fragmented processes.

UNECA Executive Secretary Claver Gatete highlighted that in Africa, landlocked developing countries face trade costs up to 75% higher than those of coastal economies. At the same time, Africa’s digital economy is expanding rapidly and is expected to reach 8.5% of GDP by 2050, with e-commerce alone projected to exceed USD 113 billion by 2029.

Taken together, these insights illustrate both the structural bottlenecks that hinder effective implementation and the significant opportunities that digital and sustainable trade facilitation can unlock for Africa’s economic transformation if translated into fully operational, cross-border solutions. They were further examined during a dedicated Forum session marking the launch of the 2025 Global Report of the United Nations Survey on Digital and Sustainable Trade Facilitation (UNSDTF).

Throughout the week, participants advanced work on practical solutions to modernize and better connect trade systems, including:

• Deepening collaboration between UNECE and UNECA and connecting experts from the regions to promote knowledge sharing and build capacity on digital and sustainable trade facilitation;
• Strengthening digital corridor connectivity, featuring the draft UNECE Recommendation No. 50 and case studies from Africa, Central Asia and Europe;
• Improving data interoperability through UN/CEFACT–WCO collaboration on aligned data models;
• Advancing digital documentation and electronic exchange frameworks, including with UN/CEFACT standards for electronic bill of lading (eBL), electronic consignment notes (eCMR), electronic freight transit information in all transport modes (eFTI ) and trust registries;
• Scaling sustainable and traceable value chains, through instruments such as the United Nations Transparency Protocol (UNTP) for digital product passports;
• Enhancing standardization on anti-fraud solutions and instruments such as Check Invoice, to ensure invoice financing integrity and deliver a secure, collaborative API-based system.

Concrete examples from Africa demonstrated how UN/CEFACT standards are already supporting trade facilitation reforms. In Senegal, UN/CEFACT data models and recommendations underpin the modernization of the ORBUS Single Window operated by GAINDE2000, improving interoperability among customs, port authorities and border agencies and reducing clearance times for imports and exports. Regionally, digital transit corridor initiatives in West and East Africa are applying UN/CEFACT standards for electronic data exchange, transit guarantees and cargo tracking to streamline cross-border movements for landlocked countries such as Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso.

The Forum advanced several ongoing UN/CEFACT projects and deliverables, including updated Business Requirements Specifications for verifiable credentials in trade; progress on the Global Trust Registry and the UN Transparency Protocol; new pilot concepts for digital transit corridors in Africa; technical work on data model alignment to support Single Window modernization; expanded collaboration on traceability frameworks for critical raw materials and agrifood value chains; and the draft Business Requirement Specifications on Check Invoice.

The Forum also provided an opportunity to strengthen cooperation between UNECE, UN/CEFACT and Senegal. During a bilateral meeting with the Secretary General of the Ministry of Trade and Industry, the parties agreed to prioritize practical cooperation on applying UN/CEFACT standards to ongoing national and regional trade facilitation reforms, including work on digital transit corridors and Single Window interoperability. They also reaffirmed Senegal’s intention to deepen its engagement in global standard-setting work, ensuring that international standards better support national and regional reforms and deliver tangible benefits for SMEs, logistics operators, ports and border agencies.

With the shared goal between UN/CEFACT and the African region and dedication from the community of experts, this Forum has concluded with renewed commitments to UN/CEFACT projects to:

• Advance digital and climate-smart corridor initiatives;
• Strengthen regulatory convergence and data interoperability for trusted data exchange;
• Accelerate adoption of UN/CEFACT standards, including transparency and sustainability tools; and
• Reinforce Africa’s voice in global standard-setting processes, aligned with African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and regional development priorities, through for instance, more prominent engagement in UN/CEFACT governance and project activities.

By providing globally harmonized standards for data exchange, electronic documentation and trust frameworks, UN/CEFACT plays a critical role in supporting AfCFTA implementation, helping to eliminate non-tariff barriers, reduce compliance costs and enable mutual recognition of digital trade documents across borders. These tools are essential to boosting intra-African trade, particularly for SMEs, by enabling faster customs clearance, more transparent supply chains and seamless participation in regional value chains.

Note to editors

The United Nations Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business (UN/CEFACT) is a subsidiary intergovernmental body of UNECE. Serving as a focal point within the United Nations Economic and Social Council, UN/CEFACT develops trade facilitation recommendations and electronic business standards. Its global membership includes experts from intergovernmental organizations, national authorities and the private sector. With 49 policy recommendations and more than 950 standards, UN/CEFACT plays a pivotal role in simplifying international trade processes and advancing sustainable development.