It is my pleasure to welcome you to the Global Meeting of Experts on Trade
Facilitation Recommendations and Electronic Business Standards (GME). I am
hopeful that this week (March 28 – April 1) will be fruitful in improving
international trade facilitation and the restructuring of UN/CEFACT.
Trade facilitation, commercial and government business processes and electronic
business standards are vital factors in the development and facilitation of
international trade. UN/CEFACT focuses on facilitating national and
international transactions through the simplification and harmonization of
processes, procedures and information flows to grow and improve global commerce.
During this meeting, a diverse range of business experts from around the world
will meet and develop international data standards. Individual groups from such
disparate topics as supply chain, environment, accounting, transportation and
logistics, agriculture and customs will focus on the collaboration of trade
standards, within these business processes.
This GME will also provide a platform for experts working with UN/CEFACT, to
collaborate on current activities and future topics. These groups will also be
discussing the upcoming UN/CEFACT re-organisation.
The GME is hosted bi-annually around the world, and in various locations. This
time, it is being held at LMI in McLean, Virginia. I would like to express my
sincere appreciation for LMI allowing us to use their headquarters for this
meeting to occur.
I am confident that this meeting will provide an excellent opportunity for the
further development of UN/CEFACT instruments, for taking important decisions
relating to UN/CEFACT structures and processes and reaching out to businesses
and governments within the United States.
Marion A. Royal
United States Head of Delegation