IRU, the world road transport organisation, and UNECE, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, have signed a new memorandum of understanding (MoU) to achieve completely paperless cross-border transit by accelerating implementation of the international eTIR system.
IRU Secretary General Umberto de Pretto and UNECE Executive Secretary Olga Algayerova signed the MoU on eTIR, the digital standard for TIR, yesterday at the United Nations in Geneva.
The new MoU, updating an earlier IRU-UNECE one signed in 2017, follows the new legal framework for TIR digitalisation, Annex 11 to the TIR Convention, which entered into force on 25 May this year.
IRU Secretary General Umberto de Pretto said, “This is another sign of the continuing strong commitment between UNECE and IRU to bring the benefits of eTIR to all countries, customs authorities, transport companies and shippers that use TIR now and in the future. With the pandemic, keeping trade and supply chains moving smoothly and safely, especially across borders, has never been more important.”
UNECE Executive Secretary Olga Algayerova said, “This new memorandum helps strengthen our work with IRU to continue modernising TIR as the major United Nations border crossing facilitation tool and make the system even more secure, efficient and transparent. We look forward to the day when all TIR transits globally will be completely paperless.”
The new MoU reinforces areas of collaboration for IRU and UNECE to continue implementation efforts across all 77 countries of the TIR Convention. The scope of the collaboration includes technical support in IT system connections, best practice exchange and facilitation of dialogue with customs and transport authorities.
