The Trade Efficiency Initiative

The Trade Efficiency Initiative was launched in February 1992 by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in Cartagena, Colombia. The main objective of this initiative is to open international trade to new participants--especially small- and medium-sized enterprises (SME's)--by simplifying and harmonizing trade procedures worldwide and by giving traders access to advanced technologies and information networks. These technologies and networks, commonly employed by large companies, have traditionally been beyond the reach of most SME's. The Trade Efficiency Initiative responds to an urgent need to increase the international awareness and effective application of information technologies to trade and to promote the use of models capable of reducing procedural costs in international trade.

The Trade Point program is a key component of the Trade Efficiency Initiative. It is designed to establish, operate, and interconnect Trade Points in all regions of the world. The pilot phase of this program culminated in the United Nations International Symposium on Trade Efficiency held October 17-21, 1994 in Columbus, Ohio, USA during which UNCTAD delegates officially launched the Global Trade Point Network.