Cumbersome trade procedures discourage economic activity and make it difficult for firms and countries to participate in regional and global production networks. ESCAP assists countries, particularly the least developed and landlocked developing countries (LDCs and LLDCs), with trade facilitation measures that help simplify processes and regulations and make participation in trade more inclusive and sustainable for all. ESCAP provides the secretariat for the Framework Agreement on Facilitation of Cross-Border Paperless Trade in Asia and the Pacific, a UN treaty dedicated to accelerating trade digitalization across the region through capacity building, pilot testing, harmonization, and mutual recognition of paperless trade systems.
