A recent study led by UNCTAD shows that a
main challenge for trade-facilitation bodies is their
sustainability. There is no one determinant element but
many aspects – such as the objectives established
for the committee, its institutional capacity, the
composition of the group, available financing
mechanisms, among others – may have important
bearings on the sustainability of the group. The
study focuses on bodies gathering stakeholders to
address trade-facilitation issues in a coordinated way,
regardless of the designation used to describe them
(committees, commissions, working groups, and the
like). The survey shows that the level of development
of a country may be a most influential factor for the
effective operation of a trade-facilitation body. The
type of body and its geographical region can also be
determinant. The research covers trade-facilitation
bodies established at national level, excluding regional
or international ones, and encompasses 50 country
cases based on responses received as of August
2013.