This year the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (United Nations ESCAP) "Readiness assessment for cross-border paperless trade" has started in Azerbaijan. The national coordinators of the Project Commission - the State Customs Committee and the Center for Analysis of Economic Reforms and Communication, the ESCAP delegation, and international experts had the first meeting.

The aim of the project is the preparation of reports based on assessments, recommendations, and action plans on technical and legal readiness for the transition of Azerbaijan to cross-border paperless trade. The reports can be a valuable basis for organizing larger-scale events in this direction at the national and international levels. A UN international expert group will implement the project.

In the end, there will be held a joint conference with the UN. The significance of the project should be mentioned separately since Azerbaijan is one of the first among countries to sign a Framework Agreement on Facilitation of Cross-border Paperless Trade in Asia and the Pacific. It is known that the "Digital Customs" solution is crucial for the implementation of the provisions of the Framework Agreement. In this regard, it is necessary to emphasize the work done by the State Customs Committee to implement measures realizing cross-border paperless trade.

The establishment of the Digital Trade Hub and carrying out tasks set forward in Decree of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan on additional measures for strengthening of the position of the Republic of Azerbaijan as a Digital Trade Hub and expansion of foreign trade operations, as well as mutual recognition of digital signatures of foreign states and other e-services are of highest importance for the development of cross-border paperless trade.