Trade and Transport Facilitation Monitoring Mechanism (TTFMM)

Author/Source: UNNExT, UNESCAP

Year of adopting/publication: 2014

Link to the document on the internet: Available from the UNESCAP website

UN Document Number: ST/ESCAP/2683

Purpose: To provide guidance to countries on establishing a sustainable trade and transport facilitation monitoring mechanism (TTFMM).

Summary: Establishment of TTFMM would enable countries to monitor and enhance trade facilitation on a continuous basis and in a sustainable manner. The key functions of the TTFMM are two-fold: (1) to formulate/update and prioritize recommendations for advancing trade facilitation; and (2) to measure and assess progress in trade facilitation. It is emphasized that TTFMM should be anchored with a national trade and transport facilitation committee (or an equivalent institution) and rely upon national resources to make it sustainable and affordable. Underpinning TTFMM is the methodology called Business Process Analysis Plus (BPA+) which is built on the Business Process Analysis methodology, supplemented by Time Release Studies (TRS) and Time-Cost-Distance (TCD) methodologies. Although TTFMM was initially designed to cater for the needs from the countries in the Asia- Pacific region, it is also applicable for any countries in the world, considering the fact that monitoring and improvement of trade and transport facilitation are always non-stop activities for not only developing countries but also developed countries.

Pages that cite this Guide:

Business process analysis
Assess needs
Trade facilitation – principles and benefits