Recommendations

Session 1: Impact of the single window on trade facilitation, logistics performance and economic growth.

- Encourage states to take ownership of the ecosystems in which GUs operate.
- Encourage single windows to strive for system interoperability to facilitate cross-border trade.
 

Improve cross-border trade in landlocked countries through intelligent corridors and intermodal connectivity.
- Ensure SLAs (Service Level Agreements) for real-time data availability.
- Set up smart corridors and ecologies that meet international standards.
- One-stop shops should collect data on waiting times and bottlenecks at borders. This information can be used to plan improvements and investments in border infrastructure.

Contribution of port and logistics efficiency to trade facilitation.
- That regional bodies and port associations play an active role in further strengthening the development of smart logistics and marine science across the continent;
- Greater emphasis should be placed on the development and implementation of the framework;
- More emphasis should be placed on capacity building and the development of integration;
- Sharing data over time to improve efficiency;
- Social considerations should be developed in parallel with the evolution of technology.
 

Supply chain resilience in times of crisis.
- States should use country one-stop shops to mitigate supply chain disruptions;
- Improve the efficiency and transparency of customs clearance and border management procedures, reducing delays and costs for traders and enhancing the safety and security of trade flows;
- Improve coordination and collaboration between the various government agencies and stakeholders involved in trade facilitation, such as customs, port authorities, health agencies, transport and logistics operators and trade associations.

The future of Single Window systems: emerging technologies and trends.
- Technologies offer great potential with blockchain, IOT, AI, etc.
- The regulatory environment, conservatism and resistance to change can limit the scope of technologies' potential. 
- AFRICA needs to focus more on the performance that single windows can bring, and also get more involved in the standardization work of organizations like UN CEFACT.
 

Single Window implementation: Sharing experiences.
- Encourage countries to draw on shared experiences as a roadmap for new Single Window projects.
- Work on updating the regulatory framework to meet the technological challenge.
- Make the single window a lever for facilitating the implementation of the continental free trade zone.
 

- Raise awareness among member states of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) of the need to accelerate the implementation of a maritime single window (January 2024).
- Strengthen the capacities of regional economic communities (RECs)
- Strengthen the capacity of human resources in the port sector.
- Strengthen the regulatory framework of states in order to facilitate the evolution of the port sector. 
 

Challenges and trends in digitizing the multimodal supply chain.
- Adopting blockchain technology to improve the reliability, traceability and security of data and business transactions;
- Use artificial intelligence to optimize resource allocation, predict and prevent potential risks and disruptions, and deliver customized, tailored services to stakeholders.
- Use the cloud to provide flexible platforms capable of storing and processing large quantities of data and information, to facilitate the dematerialization of foreign trade procedures.

Capacity building and skills development for single window implementation.
- Raising awareness among decision-makers on trade facilitation issues, particularly those relating to single windows;
- Strengthen awareness-raising seminars for member countries on best practices in single window implementation (practical guide to single window implementation developed by the alliance);
- Implement a capacity-building program for SMEs and startups to boost innovation in the supply chain on African issues;