Recommendation and Guidelines on establishing a Single Window (Recommendation No. 33) (UNECE and UN/CEFACT)
The cross-border regulatory Single Window is a complex undertaking. It is therefore useful to provide a simple description in terms of its essential characteristics. One of the main features of a Single Window is that it helps avoid the repeated submission of data. UN/CEFACT Recommendation No. 33 (Economic and Social Council, 2005) considers this feature and connects it to the question of submission of information by trade to cross-border regulatory agencies. The Recommendation helps link the concept of a Single Window with UN/CEFACT's broader area of expertise – data standards and electronic messaging.
UN/CEFACT Recommendation No. 33 draws on the Buy-Ship-Pay model to explain the collaboration between Customs and other government agencies in terms of information flows between parties involved in trade and transport on the one hand, and regulatory agencies on the other. It is the first rigorous attempt to collect data and documentation on the design and implementation of a Single Window for international trade. This Recommendation is the basis for the current understanding on the subject.