“Azerbaijan has fully implemented measures to facilitate women’s participation in trade – achieving 100 percent. The main role in this process was played by the Commission on Business Environment and International Rankings, established in 2016.” This was announced at a seminar organized by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE).
The event, held at the UN headquarters in Geneva, focused on Sustainable Trade Facilitation and the UN Trade Digitalization Index (TDI). Policymakers, trade experts, and representatives of international organizations discussed the results of the 2025 UN Global Survey on Digital and Sustainable Trade Facilitation.
According to the Chief Advisor of the Economic Analysis Department of the Center for Analysis of Economic Reforms and Communication (CAERC), who attended the seminar, Azerbaijan’s achievements were presented by experts as a successful example, and the country’s progress in building a modern, inclusive, and sustainable trade environment was highly valued.
The results show that Azerbaijan holds a leading position in several areas. In particular, the country has fully implemented measures to facilitate women’s participation in trade, achieving 100 percent. Ms. Maria Teresa Pisani, Head of the Trade Facilitation Section of UNECE’s Economic Cooperation and Trade Division, emphasized that the main role in this area belongs to the Commission on Business Environment and International Rankings (Azranking), which continues its activities by regularly organizing training sessions for women entrepreneurs.
She also presented comparative indicators across member states, noting that although the overall regional average increased from 79 percent in 2023 to 82 percent in 2025, facilitation of women’s participation in trade (44 percent) and facilitation of green trade (29 percent) remain underdeveloped areas. In this context, Azerbaijan’s achievements stand out. With a 100 percent score in women’s trade participation facilitation, Azerbaijan was recognized as one of the leading countries alongside Uzbekistan (89 percent) and Moldova (78 percent).
In green trade facilitation, Azerbaijan achieved a result of 92 percent. By significantly surpassing Kazakhstan’s 42 percent, the country also demonstrated its leadership in regional integration into sustainable development policies. This success was supported by Azerbaijan’s accession to the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal in 2001, the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants in 2004, as well as the implementation of eCITES measures.
In addition, Azerbaijan’s overall Trade Facilitation score increased from 47.31 percent in 2015 to 92.47 percent in 2025, making it one of the countries with the highest growth rates in the UNECE region. These achievements were made possible thanks to full implementation of transparency, simplification of procedures, institutional cooperation, and the development of paperless trade (92.59 percent). Although cross-border paperless trade remains the weakest area at 72.22 percent, it still represents significant progress compared to 2015.
The seminar also featured contributions from prominent experts such as Poul Hansen (UNCTAD), Maria Teresa Pisani (UNECE), and Yann Duval (ESCAP), alongside representatives from the WTO, OECD, World Bank, and UNEP. The speakers emphasized the importance of strengthening efforts in digital trade, inclusivity, and sustainability, as well as the development of the Trade Digitalization Index (TDI) into a broader comparative tool for 2026.
Azerbaijan’s results once again confirm that the country continues to align with best international practices and further strengthens its position as a reliable and strategic partner in global trade.
Source: Workshop on Sustainable Trade Facilitation and the UN Trade Digitalization Index
https://unctad.org/meeting/workshop-sustainable-trade-facilitation-and-un-trade-digitalization-index
https://www.untfsurvey.org/economy?id=AZE