ASSOCIATIONS' AFFAIRS
1. Dublin's 2016 FIATA World Congress successful
On the occasion of FIATA's 90th birthday, FIATA held its 2016 World Congress in Dublin, Ireland. Hosted by the Irish International Freight Association (IIFA) working closely with FIATA, this congress presented a new format and welcomed an array of high level speakers to discuss the key topics of the industry, with a strong accent on innovation. During the Congress FIATA and IATA signed the new air cargo cooperation agreement and likewise FIATA and OSJD signed a Memorandum. Other agreements at government level were prominently featured and attracted global and regional attention.
The event also featured important networking opportunities for delegates and a great number of technology vendors in the exhibition hall. This newly introduced approach will be useful in turning the page toward Kuala Lumpur for the 2017 FIATA World Congress. Most Congress proceedings are already published on the FIATA website and many more documents and presentations will be published in the near future on:
http://fiata.com/about-fiata/congresses.html
2. IATA/FIATA Air Cargo Program cooperation agreement takes off
During FIATA's Airfreight Institute's 95th meeting in Dublin, FIATA President Huxiang Zhao signed, at the presence of IATA's Senior Vice President for Industry Distribution and Financial Services, Aleks Popovich, the Cooperation agreement for the launch of the IATA FIATA Air Cargo Programme (IFACP).
Mr Jean Claude Delen, FIATA Past President and Treasurer stated: "From inception this project has received strong support from FIATA's Presidency". The IFACP delegates have always displayed a strong commitment to craft and implement a new global program aligned to the objectives of partnership, mutual benefits and reflective of today's forwarder – airline relationship. For more details, please see the announcement released on 18 July 2016:
http://fiata.com/media/press-releases/2016/18-july.html
3. Winner of FIATA's Young Freight Forwarder of the Year Award announced
The 2016 Young International Freight Forwarder of the Year (YIFFY) Award was announced at the World Congress in Dublin last week. Together TT Club and FIATA celebrate the achievements of young freight forwarders working for logistics companies around the globe at the FIATA Annual Congress each year.
This year the winner of the award representing the Asia-Pacific region was Shanon Gould from Australia, who emerged the winner among a group of exceptional contenders from all regions in the world. A timely Press released was jointly published by FIATA and the TT Club.To read more the award please visit:
http://fiata.com/media/press-releases/2016/10-october.html
4. WCO Guest of Honour at 2016 FIATA World Congress in Dublin
WCO's Secretary General, Dr Kunio Mikuriya, as Guest of Honour, addressed the opening session of the 2016 FIATA World Congress held in Dublin, Ireland. Dr Mikuriya emphasised the role of the WCO as a standard-setting organisation, working with commercial operators to facilitate international trade.
The WCO plays an important role in coordinating border management, bringing together the various agencies to reduce delays at borders. The Secretary General looked forward to continued cooperation with business operators, and highlighted the important role played by FIATA as a partner.To read more please visit: http://www.wcoomd.org/en/media/newsroom/2016/october/wco-at-2016-fiata-world-congress.aspx
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
5. Unites Nations to appoint Guterres as new Secretary General
The General Assembly is expected to act on 13.10.2016 on the recommendation of the Security Council regarding the appointment of the next Secretary-General of the United Nations; António Guterres, former Prime Minister of Portugal, is expected to become the next UN chief.
Mr Guterres, aged 67, was Prime Minister of Portugal from 1995 to 2002, and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees from June 2005 to December 2015. If the Security Council's recommendation is confirmed, Mr. Guterres will succeed current Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, of the Republic of Korea, who was appointed in 2006 and will leave the post at the end of this year. The new Secretary-General will assume the role in January 2017 and will serve an initial five-year term.
To read more: http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=55283#.V_9cHiTaQbo
6. WTO and IFC Discuss Action to Tackle Trade Finance for SMEs
A large and growing shortfall in trade finance is stymieing growth and development because smaller enterprises are denied access to funds which are critical to their participation in global trade, as appeared at the WTO/IFC meeting in Washington D.C. on 6th of October.
WTO Director-General Roberto Azevêdo and International Finance Corporation (IFC) Chief Executive Philippe Le Houérou discussed how their institutions and other global actors could address the gaps in trade finance to ensure that smaller companies can obtain the capital they need to compete in the international marketplace.
To read more please visit: https://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news16_e/bus_06oct16_e.htm
7. UNCTAD – Caring more about SMEs
Holding a high-level conversation on Empowering SMEs through e-Trade and Investment Facilitation, Mukhisa Kituyi, the Secretary-General of UNCTAD, was joined by an eminent group of speakers who discussed empowering small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the digital economy. To read more please visit:
http://unctad.org/en/pages/newsdetails.aspx?OriginalVersionID=1350&Sitemap_x0020_Taxonomy=UNCTAD%20Home;#14;#OSG
8. UNCATD - Tackling "Non-Tariff Measures"
In 2016, the growth of world trade will be at its slowest since the financial crisis of 2008, reports the World Trade Organization (WTO). Despite the increased protectionism that followed the crash, traditional trade barriers, such as tariffs, are at historical lows; however, the flow of goods and services between countries – one of the most important drivers of job creation and prosperity – is sluggish and causes concern. To read more please visit: http://unctad.org/en/pages/newsdetails.aspx?OriginalVersionID=1344&Sitemap_x0020_Taxonomy=UNCTAD%20Home
9. UNCTAD - African Trade Integration
"Africa has to know that there is no part of the world which has been successful in trading globally without learning first to trade with its neighbours," Dr Kituyi said on Thursday, talking at a session on inclusive trade at the World Trade Organization (WTO) public forum.
Preparations continue for the Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA), bringing together more than one billion people in 54 African countries with a combined gross domestic product of more than $3.4 trillion. Dr Kituyi said the CFTA was unlikely to happen in 2017 as originally planned, but the target had helped to move the project forward. To read more please visit:
http://unctad.org/en/pages/newsdetails.aspx?OriginalVersionID=1342&Sitemap_x0020_Taxonomy=Africa,%20LDCs,%20LLDCs%20and%20Special%20Programmes;#20;#UNCTAD Home;#1390;#Economic Development of Africa
To read FIATA's Position on the topic please visit: http://fiata.com/fileadmin/user_upload/documents/Position_Papers/The_Keys_to_Unlocking_Africa.pdf
10. WCO Promotes Collaboration at IATA Cargo Security and Facilitation Forum
At the invitation of International Air Transport Association (IATA), WCO Secretary General, Dr Kunio Mikuriya, delivered a keynote speech at the opening session of the IATA Cargo Security and Facilitation Forum in Brussels on 11th of October 2016.
Dr Mikuriya reiterated the WCO and Customs' central role in the implementation of the WTO Agreement on Trade Facilitation, mentioning the WCO Revised Kyoto Convention. He also highlighted the role of private sector operators in supporting Customs in the fight against illicit trade and smuggling of cultural heritage and wildlife. To read more please visit:
http://www.wcoomd.org/en/media/newsroom/2016/october/wco-promotes-collaboration-at-the-iata-cargo-security-and-facilitation-forum-2016.aspx
11. EU - Economic Partnership with Southern African Countries Enters into Effect
Five southern African countries - Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa and Swaziland - and the EU today start a new chapter in their multilateral relations with the entry into effect of their Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA). The agreement will apply to trade between the EU and the five countries soon to be joined by Mozambique.
The southern African markets will open only partially to EU exports, gradually over time, providing their industries with the intermediary goods they need to support growth. To read more please visit: http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/press/index.cfm?id=1554
12. Hanjin Receivership
On 31st of August 2016 Hanjin Shipping went into receivership. On 6th of September the FIATA Working Group Sea Transport circulated General Information to Members sharing some basic and generally suggested actions. It is impossible for FIATA to provide global guidelines on how to legally deal with the situation, because in each country one will need to respect local contracts and local legislation. FIATA Association Members are best placed to guide our members. There are always risks in doing business and all that FIATA can do is to assist members in mitigating such risks, but nobody is able to eliminate risk entirely.
The Working Group Sea Transport believes that professional Freight Forwarders will manage the situation to take this contingency as an opportunity to show its professionalism in practice. FIATA strongly recommends that freight forwarders be as close as possible to their customers and keep them informed. It is equally important to have a dialogue with the underwriters and listen to their suggestions.
SUSTAINABLE LOGISTICS & CONNECTIVITY
13. Historic Emissions Agreement Reached at ICAO
Government, industry and civil society representatives have agreed on a new global market-based measure (GMBM) to control CO2 emissions from international aviation. ICAO's Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) is designed to complement the basket of mitigation measures the air transport community is already pursuing to reduce CO2 emissions from international aviation.
Implementation of the CORSIA will begin with a pilot phase from 2021 through 2023. Participation the early stages will be voluntary and the next phase from 2027 to 2035 would see all States on board. Some exemptions were accepted for Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Small Island Developing States (SIDS), Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) and States with very low levels of international aviation activity. To read more please visit: http://www.icao.int/Newsroom/Pages/ICAO-concludes-highly-successful-2016-World-Aviation-Forum.aspx
14. UNECE - Measuring Progress towards the Paris Climate Agreement
The Paris Agreement under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), agreed in December 2015, will come into force in the EU in November following a vote of the European Parliament, which agreed to ratification by the European Union.
With this vote, preceded by clear commitments regarding ratification, acceptance, approval or accession by the US, China, India and other countries, the two conditions for the entry into force of the Agreement, a minimum of 55 countries accounting for at least 55% of world's greenhouse gas emissions, are met. To read more please visit: http://www.unece.org/info/media/news/statistics/2016/measuring-progress-towards-the-targets-of-the-paris-climate-agreement/doc.html
15. African Nations join Front-Runners in ratifying Paris Agreement on Climate Change
At the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 21, 2016, nine African nations deposited their instruments for ratification of the global Paris Agreement on climate change, cementing their commitment to a climate-smart development path, and helping the world draw closer to making the Agreement a global reality. Following the ceremony, Mali also filed its ratification instrument on September 28, 2016.
Seven of the African countries which have already ratified are pilots under the $8.3 billion Climate Investment Funds (CIF), running programs built on Investment Plans (IPs) which link their climate actions to their national development policies, with support from the African Development Bank (AfDB). To read more please visit: http://www.afdb.org/en/news-and-events/article/african-nations-join-front-runners-in-ratifying-paris-agreement-on-climate-change-16184/