We, the Ministers/the Head of delegations of SPECA participating States – Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, gathered in Geneva on April 17 of 2023 on the margins of the 70th Session of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) for a high-level dialogue with heads of the United Nations regional commissions, Permanent… Read more
Digital trade, or the application of digital technologies to trade and supply chain processes, is an opportunity to drive efficiency, speed, and resilience for companies, industries and countries that rely on trade for growth. The pace of technological advancement, and the falling cost of computing power and storage, now make the benefits of digitally-enabled trade… Read more
The international supply chain is growing in complexity at the same time as nation states seek to improve their border compliance for imports and facilitate access to export markets for their domestic producers. The global value chain is highly dependent on smooth cross-border supply flows (tangible, intangible and data). In an uncertain world that is… Read more
This study seeks to provide the European Central Bank (ECB) with a thorough understanding of the current payment habits of citizens of euro area countries and specifically their attitudes towards digital payment methods. In addition, it aims to explore the user perspective on new digital payment methods and potential key features which could drive the… Read more
In the era of digital transformation, supplier management and procurement came late. But over the past two years, companies have learned how vulnerable global supply chains are to disruption, making the digitisation of supplier management and procurement processes more important again. While cost reduction remains a priority, procurement needs to be more flexible and its… Read more
International trade is associated with positive impacts on growth, and acts as a particularly important channel of positive spill-overs for SMEs, including in the area of managerial skills, technology and innovation. Access to trade finance can facilitate SME engagement in international trade by addressing two major challenges. First, both exporters and importers are exposed to… Read more
Distributed ledger technology (DLT)1 in trade is usually used for two primary purposes: 1) track-and-trace, to enhance transparency on how goods are being processed and 2) the digitalization of trade processes. Track-and-trace itself has three main purposes. First, it can be used to increase transparency for customers and build trust. This is done by providing… Read more
The spread of digital tools, the increased availability of data on both business and financial interactions, and the improvments in data processing capacities are all critical to the expansion of supply chain and distributor finance. Digital integration of traditional retailers/suppliers and distributors/manufacturers is a pathway for addressing working capital challenges and driving financial inclusion, as… Read more
The study confirms the strong potential of blockchain technology in the domain of international trade document exchange. However, changing international trade processes in this way would require adaptations of the legislative framework and policy-driven initiatives. The study’s analysis of the legislative framework and current policies in both international trade and blockchain technologies emphasised the challenges… Read more