Partners Of the Global Forum

At the international level, institutes are more involved in regulation and coordination of international trade statistics, like setting of standards, preparing compilation guidance and disseminating internationally comparable trade statistics. International organizations that are active in the development of trade statistics are the United Nations Statistics Division, OECD, WTO, Eurostat, UNCTAD, IMF, WCO, FAO and the World Bank. At the regional level, trade has often been an important policy issue accompanied by some harmonization of community trade statistics. Examples are ASEAN, COMESA, ALADI and ECOWAS.

International Organizations
  • Eurostat
  • OECD
  • WCO
  • UNIDO
  • World Steel Association
  • WTO
  • UNCTAD
  • World Bank

International Organizations

WCO (World Customs Organization)

The World Customs Organization (WCO) is the only inter-governmental organisation exclusively focused on Customs matters. With its worldwide membership, the WCO is now recognised as the voice of the global Customs community. It is particularly noted for its work in areas covering the development of global standards, the simplification and harmonisation of Customs procedures, trade supply chain security, the facilitation of international trade, the enhancement of Customs enforcement and compliance activities, anti-counterfeiting and piracy initiatives, public-private partnerships, integrity promotion, and sustainable global Customs capacity building programmes. The WCO also maintains the international Harmonized System goods nomenclature, and administers the technical aspects of the WTO Agreements on Customs Valuation and Rules of Origin.

UNIDO

The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations. Its mandate is to promote and accelerate sustainable industrial development in developing countries and economies in transition, and work towards improving living conditions in the world's poorest countries by drawing on its combined global resources and expertise. In recent years, UNIDO has assumed an enhanced role in the global development agenda by focusing its activities on poverty reduction, inclusive globalization and environmental sustainability. Our services are based on two core functions: as a global forum, we generate and disseminate industry-related knowledge; as a technical cooperation agency, we provide technical support and implement projects. Today, the Organization is recognized as a highly relevant, specialized and efficient provider of key services in support of the interlinked challenges of reducing poverty through productive activities, promoting the integration of developing countries in global trade through trade capacity building, fostering environmental sustainability in industry, and improving access to energy. UNIDO assists developing countries and economies in transition to monitor, benchmark and analyze their industrial performance and capabilities; and maintains databases on detailed key industrial statistics with worldwide coverage.

World Steel Association

The World Steel Association (Worldsteel) is a non-profit organisation with headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. A second office in Beijing, China, opened in April 2006. Worldsteel is one of the largest and most dynamic industry associations in the world and represents approximately 170 steel producers (including 17 of the world's 20 largest steel companies), national and regional steel industry associations, and steel research institutes. Worldsteel members produce around 85% of the world's steel. Worldsteel acts as the focal point for the steel industry, providing global leadership on all major strategic issues affecting the industry, particularly focusing on economic, environmental and social sustainability. It also promotes steel and the steel industry to customers, the industry, media and the general public. It assists its members to develop the market for steel, and promotes a zero-accident working environment for steel industry employees and contractors.

Eurostat

Eurostat is the Statistical Office of the European Union and was co-organizer of the Global Forum on Trade Statistics in February 2011. Eurostat is an original member of the Task Force on international merchandise trade statistics, the UN Expert Group on IMTS, the Task Force on statistics of international trade in services, the UN Expert Group on the compilation of SITS, the UN Expert Group on international economic and social classifications, and many other international fora. Eurostat is responsible for the development of regulation for international trade statistics for the EU and actively participates in development of recommendations at the global level.

OECD

The Statistics Directorate of OECD has a long-standing involvement in the development of international trade statistics. OECD is convener of the Task Force on statistics of international trade in services and member of the Task Force on IMTS, as well as member of the respective UN Expert Groups. OECD and UNSD have a long-standing cooperation in the collection, compilation and dissemination of international merchandise trade statistics. OECD organizes annually its Working Party on Trade in Goods and Services bringing the two statistical communities of data compilers together. OECD and WTO have started the intergovernmental process of the further development of the measurement of trade in value-added.

World Trade Organization

The Economic Research and Statistics Division of WTO has a long-standing involvement in the development of international trade statistics. WTO is convener of the Task Force on IMTS and active member of the Task Force on SITS, as well as member of the respective UN Expert Groups. WTO hosted the Global Forum on Trade Statistics in February 2011 and actively promotes the further development of the measurement of trade in value-added.

UNCTAD

The Development Statistics and Information Branch of UNCTAD supported the organization of the Global Forum in Geneva in February 2011 and is member of the Task Forces on IMTS and SITS. UNCTAD is especially active in the support to the merchandise trade statistics through its ASYCUDA project. UNCTAD is further known for its active role in the collection of FDI statistics and for its research studies in the areas of Trade, Investment and Development.


The World Bank

The World Bank is mostly active in the research of trade issues, including the measurement of trade. Most notably, the World Bank Policy Research Working Papers have dealt extensively with issues of Global Value Chains, Trade and the Financial Crisis, Trade and Employment, or China and the World Trade System.