CEFACT: an international private/public sector partnership

The Centre for the Facilitation of Procedures and Practices in Administration, Commerce and Transport (CEFACT) constitutes a partnership between the public and private sectors for their mutual benefit. For the private sector, working with governments to improve commerce is critical to improving international competitiveness. For governments, working with the private sector to reduce procedural barriers to trade is critical to improving both their own administrative effectiveness and the economic well-being of their countries. This issue of the Bulletin presents an exposition by the Chairman of the CEFACT, Mr. Henri Martre, at the Trade Facilitation Seminar, carried out between 9 and 10 March of 1998, at the Headquarters of the World Trade Organization, Geneva, Switzerland. Its main purpose is to explain the importance of CEFACT's partnership between the public and private sectors; how this partnership works, and the trade facilitation instruments it has created.

Institutional framework, co-modality and sustainable transport services

This issue of the FAL bulletin focuses on the problems which public institutions encounter when formulating transport policies and the challenge of designing and implementing systemic, integrated, sustainable transport policies in the current institutional framework in the countries of Latin America.

Inland waterways classification as a tool for public policy and planning: core concepts and proposals for South America

This FAL Bulletin looks at the classification of navigable inland waterways in South America. It describes an existing classification system (ECMT/UNECE), noting its role in the development of river transport, based on which it discusses lessons learned and presents a preliminary proposal for a classification for South America.