Uzbekistan & UN ECE Chart Customs Digital Reform Path

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Uzbekistan's Customs Committee and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe mapped out the next phase of their reform partnership at the Tashkent International Investment Forum, with digital customs transformation and regional transit connectivity at the centre of discussions.

Deputy Chairman of the Customs Committee of Uzbekistan Nodir Musamukhamedov met with Elizabeth Türk, Director of the UN ECE Department of Economic Cooperation and Trade, on the sidelines of the forum. The two sides reviewed the current state of cooperation and the trajectory for deepening it across several technical fronts.

The Uzbek delegation acknowledged UN ECE's support across four key areas: trade procedure simplification, digital technology deployment, cross-border operations optimisation, and the adoption of international standards — a partnership that has visibly shaped Uzbekistan's customs modernisation agenda in recent years.

A significant portion of the meeting focused on the eTIR system — the international customs transit framework that enables the electronic exchange of TIR data between customs authorities — and specifically on its integration with Uzbekistan's national information platforms. Both sides stressed the importance of improving transit efficiency and strengthening the country's role in regional transport and logistics networks, a priority that carries considerable strategic weight for a landlocked nation seeking to capitalise on its position along key Eurasian corridors.

Particular significance was attached to the publication of the National Trade Facilitation Roadmap of the Republic of Uzbekistan (2025–2030), prepared with UN ECE support. The document is designed to accelerate trade facilitation reforms and drive digital transformation across customs and border management systems over the next five years.

Both parties confirmed their readiness to further strengthen cooperation on customs process digitalisation, trade development, and transport-transit integration — commitments that place Uzbekistan's reform agenda squarely within the broader UN ECE framework for modern, paperless cross-border trade.