Together with the Indian Institute for Foreign Trade (IIFT) and UN ESCAP, the OECD was a knowledge partner to the 2023 G20 India Presidency Trade & Investment Working Group – Logistics for Trade pillar. Support was provided during the drafting and discussions on the G20 High-Level Principles on the Digitalization of Trade Documents, which were adopted at the G20 Trade and Investment Ministerial Meeting in August 2023.
The ten HLPs cover aspects of neutrality, security, trust, interoperability, data privacy, reliability, voluntary sharing of data, collaboration, scalability, and traceability.
PRINCIPLE 1: NEUTRALITY
Digitalization initiatives for trade documents should remain unbiased towards any specific technology, software or system. The initiatives should ensure the immutability and interoperability of data for seamless communication and exchange across diverse systems.
PRINCIPLE 2: SECURITY
To ensure the security of data related to electronic trade document(s), the utilized technologies, including their related digital infrastructure should adopt robust encryption and other security protocols to protect data and the infrastructure concerned against physical damage and information security threats or data theft.
PRINCIPLE 3: TRUST
Technologies/frameworks based on transparent domestic rules and procedures should enable confidence, accountability and authentication for the generation and exchange/transfer of the electronic trade documents.
PRINCIPLE 4: INTEROPERABILITY
The utilized technologies, including their related digital infrastructure should aim to ensure interoperability and seamless exchange of electronic trade document(s) and related data between or among the transacting parties and other stakeholders. The desired interoperability should enable the use of a variety of existing technological systems, standards, document formats and frameworks.
PRINCIPLE 5: DATA PRIVACY
The utilized technologies should implement privacy enhancing technological features/solutions, and share the minimum data necessary for the generation/exchange of electronic trade document(s) and execution of business transactions between the transacting parties. Also, utilized technologies should comply with applicable data privacy rules/norms.
PRINCIPLE 6: RELIABILITY
The utilized technologies, including their related digital infrastructure should ensure the authenticity, immutability and validity of electronic trade documents.
PRINCIPLE 7: VOLUNTARY SHARING OF DATA
Sharing of electronic trade documents and related data should be voluntary with the informed consent of economic operators supplying data and only limited to the minimum data exchange necessary for the generation and exchange of documents, and execution of business transaction between the transacting parties in compliance with applicable domestic rules and regulations.
PRINCIPLE 8: COLLABORATION
The utilized technologies should provide adequate flexibility to facilitate reliance on the same electronic trade document by governments and competent authorities concerned, financial institutions, transacting parties, technology providers and other stakeholders.
PRINCIPLE 9: TRACEABILITY
The utilized technologies should provide a comprehensive audit trail of the transaction(s), in accordance with domestic regulations of electronic trade documents.
PRINCIPLE 10: SCALABILITY
To accommodate growth, shifting trade conditions and new technological developments, utilised technologies for the exchange of electronic trade documents must be scalable, and should be able to handle extensive data volumes and transaction numbers.