Crown Agents participated in a three-day International Single Window Conference in Dakar, Senegal and in the following week, the 13th United Nations/CEFACT in Saly, Senegal. Participants at the conference included heads and representatives of government bodies, single window operators, businesses and international organisations.
The Single Window conference was a platform of exchanges on the single window concept, gathering delegates from the different regions of the world. These included countries boasting a single window experience and organisations promoting the implementation of single windows.The conference enabled participants to have a clear-cut idea on the concept and delve into various implementation approaches. Stakeholders also exchanged ideas to assist countries move from the concept stage to the implementation stage.
Crown Agents was represented by Valentina Mintah and Kevin Atkinson, our country manager in Ethiopia. On the 2nd day, 
Valentina delivered a presentation on "Philippines National Single Window -Meeting Today's Business Challenges." It shared our experiences following the memorandum of understanding signed with the Philippines Bureau of Customs and Oracle Corporation on Single Window. Valentina touched on some of the challenges that arise when implementing single window within external agencies. These include diverse processes, technology, communication methods and barriers to change. The solutions we discussed included:
- all stakeholders working towards an agreed vision and standard
- a business model that adapts to each participant's environment
- technology that supports both advanced organisations (XML) and those reliant on document-based processes (PDF)
- alignment of technology components (e.g. Oracle, Verisign, Adobe)
- minimal entry requirements
- little or no re-engineering required
- fast Scale Up path
- not waiting for the "Big Bang" but working towards the "Big Bang".
Crown Agents is a member of the UN/CEFACT Forum. Valentina Mintah also participated in the UN/CEFACT Trade Facilitation workshop the next week. As a member of the TBG 15 group of UN/CEFACT, we assisted with writing the draft of recommendation 34 and 35 on Single Window for Public Review. UN/CEFACT, a United Nations body, has a global remit. It encourages close collaboration between governments and private business to secure the interoperability for the exchange of information between the public and private sector.
A Single Window is a facility enabling the provision of standardised information with a single body to fulfill all import, export and transit related regulatory requirements. If information is electronic then individual data elements should only be submitted once.
For further information on the philippines memorandum of understanding, please follow the link in the news section on the right side of the page.