Caracas, October 19, 2015.- The Permanent Secretariat of Latin American and Caribbean Economic System (SELA) together with the Institute of Investment Promotion and Exports – Uruguay XXI –  of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, developed the “VII Latin American and Caribbean Regional Meeting on Foreign Trade Single Windows: Single Windows as Tools for Trade Facilitation and Commercial Integration”, where the contribution of Single Windows were reviewed in the context of the recent agreement establishing the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Trade Facilitation, and the corresponding mechanisms of trade integration in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The meeting allowed to the participants discussing the strategic role that Single Windows play in intraregional trade and in generating competitive insertion of the countries of the region, in global economic conditions concert. As a complement, participants reviewed the progress made in the UN/CEFACT Single Window Interoperability Project; analyzed the interoperability between Foreign Trade Single Windows and  Single Windows Port; and discussed and disseminated achievements made by Single Windows in Latin America and the Caribbean in 2015.

The Permanent Secretariat of SELA has promoted annual regional meetings, with the purpose of providing a space for encounter and coordination to encourage regional dialogue, through an exchange of successful experiences and relevant information on issues related to Foreign Trade Single Windows (regulatory, technical, technological and governance elements), as well as on the progress made in the region, in terms of Single Windows. The ultimate goal is to contribute to their development and consolidation, within the framework of regional and digital integration processes in Latin America and the Caribbean.