During the 8th meeting of the Working Group on the Trans-Asian Railway Network (14-15 September 2023), the Working Group adopted a new annex (Annex III) to the Intergovernmental Agreement on the Trans-Asian Railway Network entitled “General principles on electronic information exchange/data interchange among railways and between railways and control agencies along the Trans-Asian Railway Network”. It noted that the annex laid the groundwork for the further digitalization of railway transport through electronic data exchange. Furthermore, during the ad-hoc session of the Standing Committee of the Framework Agreement on Facilitation of Cross-Border Paperless Trade in Asia and the Pacific (CPTA) (23-24 January 2024), findings on national studies of the status of cross-border paperless trade, including in China and Mongolia, were presented.
These developments provide renewed momentum for the project on promoting cross-border electronic information exchange for efficient railway transport and transit in East and North-East Asia.
The three-year project (2022-2024) aims to enhance railway efficiency to increase its use for sustainable transport connectivity along the China-Mongolia-Russia Economic Corridor through cross-border electronic information exchange. Funded under the China-ESCAP Cooperation Programme (CECP), the project engages with customs and railway officials and other stakeholders involved in rail transport and transit along the corridor.
The 11th Asia-Pacific Trade Facilitation Forum 2024 will be held on 1-5 April 2024 and will focus on how digitalization can be leveraged to enable sustainable supply chains in the Asia-Pacific region. The Forum will provide an opportunity for the focal points of the project to engage with other member States, sharing experiences and perspectives on different aspects of trade facilitation and digitalization, including cross-border paperless trade and transport. To this end, the following associated events will be organized:
- Outreach Event: Promoting cross-border paperless trade and lessons from Northeast Asia (3 April 2024, 14.00-16.00)
- Second Focal Points’ Meeting: Promoting cross-border electronic information exchange for efficient railway transport and transit in East and North-East Asia (4 April 2024, 10.00-12.30)
