Three private-sector organisations have collaborated to launch a significant new partnership to support the effective implementation of the World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) landmark Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA).

The TFA seeks to ease and expedite global trade through the standardisation, streamlining and acceleration of customs processes worldwide.

The Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation was launched last month during the WTO’s tenth Ministerial Conference in Nairobi, Kenya, and aims to provide a unique platform to leverage business expertise and resources in the implementation of customs and border transformations.

This alliance is hosted by US-based nonprofit organisation the Center for International Private Enterprise, the International Chamber of Commerce and international institution for public–private cooperation the World Economic Forum.

It is the first initiative to provide a global platform to bring business closer to the process of enacting reforms under the TFA.

Core activities of the alliance will include enhancing understanding of the benefits of trade facilitation in the public and private sectors; establishing sus- tainable multistakeholder dialogues on trade facilitation; mobilising public–private partnerships to drive change and engage local businesses and associations; providing technical and financial assistance in support of capacity building; and benchmarking and evaluation, based on established business metrics.

Further, the alliance will support TFA-related projects in 12 to 15 developing countries on a yearly, rolling basis to identify trade bottlenecks and work with governments to implement amendments to assist in the facilitation of trade for local enterprises.

Meanwhile, the World Economic Forum head of the Centre for the Global Agenda Richard Samans notes that the private sector “can play a vital role in directing trade facilitation reforms to the areas of greatest impact”.

The alliance will, therefore, also work to remedy the limited private-sector awareness of the TFA in some sectors and markets. Underscoring the business-led nature of the alliance, the effectiveness of alliance programmes will be measured using real-world commercial metrics.

The Center for International Private Enterprise deputy director Andrew Wilson adds that, “at the country level, the alliance will focus on empowering the local business community to become a leading stakeholder in trade facilitation efforts. This will ensure that reforms get implemented and have commercially meaningful outcomes.”

The alliance is supported by the Canadian, German, UK and US governments. A range of multinational companies – including Danish business conglomerate AP Møller-Mærsk, German logistics company DHL, American retail corporation Wal-Mart, American corporation and e-commerce company eBay and Chinese networking and telecommunications equipment and services company Huawei – have committed to working with the alliance. Other partners are expected to join the initiative as its activities start.

International Chamber of Commerce secretary general John Danilovich reasons that neither governments nor the private sector, on their own, can deliver on the potential of the TFA.

“The Alliance offers the potential to take a great leap forward in realising the gains of this landmark agreement for business, governments and consumers,” he concludes.