Tuesday 26 November 2024 (13:00 – 21:00 Geneva time)

Session 1: Take stock of progress implementing the WTO TFA
This session allows participants to discuss where governments stand on their uptake of TF reforms, and to reflect on on-going work of the Committee on Trade Facilitation (CTF). This is also an opportunity to discuss how the Members can strengthen the effectiveness of their participation in the CTF and collaborate on trade facilitation through the ALADI. 

• Update on work of the CTF in the WTO (40 min incl. Q&A)
      Mr Gonzalo Muñoz Chesta, Chile Mission to the WTO, Geneva 
      Mr Carlos Carlos S. Guevara, Counselor, International Economic Organizations Directorate, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility (online)

-- Update on work at the ALADI Secretariat (15 min incl. Q&A) 

-- Members experiences: (35 min incl. Q&A)
    Peru and Ecuador to present and analyse key areas of reforms, successes, and challenges

Session 2: Facilitating trade in agriculture products
This session allows participants to discuss efforts made to reduce barriers to trade of agriculture goods arising from import and export requirements and speeding up the movement of goods across borders. This allows members to reflect on the linkages with the TFA and the collaboration between government agencies to achieve the common objective to facilitation trade.

-- STDF Safe Trade Solutions (30 min incl. Q&A)
    Mr Simon Padilla, STDF, WTO Secretariat

-- Perspective from the private sector (30 min incl. Q&A)
    Mr Diego Risso, Executive Director, Seed Association of the Americas

--  Members experiences (30 min including Q&A)
     Chile and Uruguay to present reform projects and reflect on how to secure and build agency collaboration

Session 3: Digitalisation of SPS certificates: ePhyto and eVet
This session aims to share experiences from ePhtyto implementation in the region and to introduce the upcoming initiative supported by STDF to introduce electronic veterinary certification in Latin America. It allows participants to reflect on furthering the implementation in view of genuine collaboration amongst agencies, cross-border data exchange and interoperability with other digital platforms.

-- STDF (20 min, incl. Q&A)
    Mr Simon Padilla, STDF, WTO Secretariat

-- Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation (GATF) (20 min incl. Q&A) 
    Ms Carolina Acosta, CIPE, Colombia (online)

-- IICA (40 min, incl. Q&A) 

-- Members' experiences (40 min incl. Q&A)
    Argentina, Brazil, Mexico Lessons learned and future development

Wednesday 27 November 2024

Session 4: Why does interoperability matter?
This session allows participants to discuss the desirable notion of interoperability and its role for enabling sharing of data and operational collaboration at domestic and cross-border level. Members will be asked to share Using examples of on-going digitalisation projects participants will identify areas for organisational, operational and technical interoperability measures.

-- TFAF (10 min)
    Ms Birgit Viohl

-- WCO Customs perspective on digitalisation (30 min incl. Q&A)
    Mr Juan Diego Chavarria, Facilitation, WCO 

-- Members' experiences (20 min incl. Q&A)
    Paraguay to present digitalisation initiatives and how interoperability is part of these projects

Session 5: Interoperability for effective data exchange
This session allows participants to learn from experts about international standards for semantic and syntactical interoperability and how they apply to the trade facilitation context.

-- WCO data model (40 min incl Q&A)
    Mr Juan Diego Chavarria, Facilitation, WCO 

-- Negotiating cross-border data exchange (40 min incl. Q&A)
    Mr Alvaro Francisco Díaz Gallmetzer, Ministerio de Agricultura, Gobierno de Chile

-- Member' experience (20 min incl. Q&A)
    Ecuador

Session 6: Role of Single Windows in domestic and cross-border digitalisation
This session allows participants to share experiences about cross-border data sharing or domestic data sharing projects learn from experts about international standards for semantic and syntactical interoperability. 

-- The Pacific Alliance electronic Exchange platform (40 min incl Q&A)
    Mr. Juan Juncal, Technology Manager, Single Window
    Mr. Mikael Larsson, Lead Trade Specialist (online)

-- UNCTAD Single Window interoperability (20 min incl Q&A)
    Mr Jaime MENDOZA (online), Regional Coordinator for the Americas, ASYCUDA Programme, UNCTAD

-- Members' experiences: Single Window interoperability (40 min incl Q&A)
    Ecuador and Peru to present projects regarding cross-border data sharing between Single Window(s) or data sharing across domestic IT platforms