AD Ports Group and the International Trade Centre (ITC), the joint agency of the United Nations and the World Trade Organization (WTO), signed today a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to cooperate on trade facilitation, digital trade, logistics and transport through policy dialogue, digital trade solutions, capacity building, experience sharing and technical assistance.

 

A leading facilitator of global trade, logistics, and industry, AD Ports Group said as per the deal, the two entities will use various solutions to simplify trade, improve the efficiency of transport, maritime, ports and logistics sectors in the UAE as well as the GCC and the developing countries. 

 

Both parties will review frameworks and policies across these sectors to evaluate their effectiveness and develop and upgrade border services in line with international best practices, said the statement from AD Ports. 

 

AD Ports Group and ITC will provide technical assistance for developing and least developed countries (LDCs), including on the implementation of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) for faster and smoother cross-border trade, remarked Captain Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, Managing Director and Group CEO – AD Ports Group, after sealing the deal with Pamela Coke-Hamilton, the Executive Director of ITC.

 

"We’re extremely excited to be the first ports and logistics entity to sign such a deal with ITC, demonstrating AD Ports Group’s value proposition. This move strengthens our relationships with international trade organisations, opens new global investment opportunities, and promotes the UAE's economic diversification," noted Al Shamisi. 

 

"Our cooperation with ITC in the area of trade facilitation services and solutions will make transactions smoother, enabling us to integrate more small businesses into value chains and improve our overall efficiency. ITC shares our value and stance regarding sustainability and we’re fully confident that by working together we can help each other reach our environmental goals," he added.

 

AD Ports Group said the MoU will help the duo promote joint services and solutions and jointly participate in events, conferences and workshops in customs digitalisation, trade facilitation, ports, maritime and logistics. 

Furthermore, they will share experiences, networks, capacity building and training on key areas of trade facilitation and customs excellence, it added.

 

Pamela Coke-Hamilton, Executive Director of ITC, said: "Digital is changing the way small businesses of developing countries trade, making information available in a timely manner, and making cross-border trade faster, easier and more environmentally friendly."

 

According to her, the deal will see both sides make trade more inclusive and conducive to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), while fostering dialogue and consensus-building.

 

They will also provide advisory support to design SMEs-led trade strategies and business solutions and promote women traders’ role in trade facilitation with empowerment programmes and initiatives.

 

"Through our new partnership with AD Ports Group, we look forward to leveraging their technology and advanced trade facilitation solutions to enhance the competitiveness of SMEs in international trade and create a more efficient, inclusive and sustainable trading environment in the region and beyond," she added.

 

ITC was established in 1964 in Geneva, Switzerland, with the mandate to promote international trade and the export of goods and services of developing countries.

 

It provides countries and clients tailored support through unique advisory services, capacity building, training, and mentoring, free tools and business data, and trade-specific publications. 

 

It also supports governments and private sectors to improve the efficiency of their transport and logistics sectors through such activities as regulatory impact assessment capacity building programmes and trade digitisation.-TradeArabia News Service