Provision of stable economic growth in Uzbekistan is related to, among other factors, development of foreign economic activity. It can be proved by noting that the essential part of acceleration of economic growth in 2004-2007 years was caused by significant expansion of the foreign trade of the country, particularly by twofold increase of export volumes in 2003-2007 (from 3,7 up to 9 billion US dollars) . Expansion of export was caused by efforts of the government on liberalizing trade and currency policy, stimulating private sector development, and also favorable trends in world markets for Uzbekistan. Another important factor was the decrease in transactional costs of doing business in Uzbekistan.

At the same time, the process of conducting export-import operations and passing customs procedures still consumes lots of time and followed by additional costs for the participants of foreign economic activities.

Therefore, improving the instruments of regulating foreign trade should become an important factor of further stimulating development of country`s economy. The experience of many developing countries shows that simplification of export-import procedures and increasing the effectiveness of customs administration promotes the expansion of foreign trade and more intense economic growth.

Taking into account above mentioned, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Uzbekistan organized seminar: "Facilitating trade in Uzbekistan: Standards and instruments of UNECE on trade facilitation" on July 1, 2008. Representatives of ministries and agencies, international organizations, experts’ and business circles of Uzbekistan participated in the seminar.

The aim of conducting this event was to introduce participants with the standards of UNECE on trade facilitation, particularly in such fields as creating institutional foundation for private-public partnership and concept of "single window" in using standards and codes for trade facilitation.

With view of studying in details standards of UNECE and existing instruments on trade facilitation, the experience of other countries who have implemented recommendations of UNECE, International experts were invited to make presentations and share with their ideas on trade facilitation in Uzbekistan.

The participants had an opportunity to get acquainted with definitions of trade facilitations, principles of "single-window" for export and import clearance and its increasing importance in the world, and also learn practical application of the UNECE instruments and standards by the example of other developing countries.