Development Account Projects
Strengthening the development of international merchandise trade statistics and e-commerce in member countries of the ESCWA
Background:
Drawing on the conclusions of the meeting of the Task Force on International Merchandise Trade Statistics (Rome, 16-18 April 2002) the ESCWA Statistical Committee recommended that the region’s statistical capacity in the area of international merchandise trade be improved, particularly in the areas of trade classification, production of price indices for imports and exports and registering of e-commerce.
The improved capacity of ESCWA member countries for the production and utilization of international merchandise trade statistics is an important element of the region’s development. The current merchandise trade data in the ESCWA region suffers from poor collection of international trade statistics, inadequate coordination between national statistical offices and other institutions involved in gathering and producing merchandise trade statistics, lack of a proper system for covering and recording the quantities of commodities traded between ESCWA member countries and their partners, improper handling of confidential data and inadequate treatment of e-commerce and trade in digital products used in recording and collecting trade statistics. The project is aimed at establishing a network within ESCWA member States that would assist countries in more effectively managing trade data and sharing knowledge and information.
The target beneficiaries of the project will be national statistical offices and customs authorities, trade regime policymakers, the private sector and other businesses related to international trade in the 13 ESCWA member countries.
ESCWA will implement the project in partnership with the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), UNCTAD and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). FAO will be involved in joint activities with ESCWA to assist member countries in compiling, processing, analysing and disseminating data on agricultural commodities exported to developed countries, while the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, OECD and UNCTAD will provide expertise and resource persons to assist the project in achieving its objective.
Objective:
To enhance ESCWA member countries’ capacity to collect, analyse and disseminate trade data (with a focus on agricultural products, trade and commodities) to strengthen the formulation, monitoring and evaluation of national plans and policies, including in the context of international and regional trade negotiations.
Expected accomplishments:
- Improved quality of IMTS, including recording of IMTS related information at Customs and other relevant offices, better application of international recommendations and better data validation at National Statistical Offices, as well as improved dissemination of IMTS and trade indicators
- Improved measurement of e-commerce in relation to international merchandise trade.
- Initiated a network of trade statisticians for sustainability of capacity
Implementation status:
In order to obtain status information from all relevant national offices, before the beginning of capacity building activities, missions were conducted to Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Kuwait in September 2006. Individual reports on the status of IMTS for the 3 countries were prepared. Awareness was raised on international recommendations in the area of IMTS. Issues of concern to be strengthened in the three countries in the compilation, processing and dissemination of IMTS were discussed with national officials and the outcomes will be included in the capacity building activities, like the training workshops.
