Article #1100 - UN/CEFACT

The work of DISA X12, UN/CEFACT, and OASIS is interrelated and complementary, each focusing on different aspects of electronic commerce. Historically, the Data Interchange Standards Association (DISA) Accredited Standards Committee X12 maintained and developed EDI standards prevalent in legacy systems in the US. The United Nations Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business (UN/CEFACT) developed and maintained the EDIFACT standards (international EDI standards). With the joint ebXML initiative between the Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards (OASIS) and the UN/CEFACT, all of these organizations began encompassing internet technologies and issues in their scopes and working toward standards which support ‘open-edi’. Where ‘open-edi’ implies support for e-business using internet technologies and including support for existing EDI systems and migration toward more recent paradigms.

All three of these groups focus on business transactions as opposed to ‘process’ transactions (needed for real-time operations, for example). The UN/CEFACT focuses on business practices and processes and provides modeling methodology for open-edi business processes. OASIS continues to develop and maintain the ebXML framework and some of its associated standards (though many of the underlying standards specified within ebXML stem from other groups such as the IETF, W3C or the OMG). The ASC X12 group within DISA focuses on ensuring integration and migration of older EDI standards into the open-edi frameworks. DISA also works on specific development issues supporting and working actively with the UN/CEFACT and OASIS.

UN/CEFACT, United Nations Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Commerce

	UN/CEFACT, United Nations Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Commerce
Overview	The United Nations, through UN/CEFACT, supports activities dedicated to improving the ability of business, trade and administrative organizations from developed, developing and transitional economies to exchange products and relevant services effectively. Its principal focus is to facilitate international transactions, through the simplification and harmonization of processes, procedures and information flows and so contribute to the growth of global commerce.
Significance for GridWise™	Average+
Industry Sector(s)	Business sector
Geopolitical Reach	International
Type of Standards Body	Voluntary standards/specifications. ISO Accredited SDO
Impact	Global
Relevant Standards and Work Groups	International Trade and Business Process Group( TBG) Numerous domain specific working groups Techniques and Methodologies Group( TMG) eBusiness Working Group: Architecture Specification Business Process Working Group: Business Process Specification Schema;UN/CEFACT Modeling Methodology (UMM) Core Components Working Group ISO/TC 154-UN/CEFACT� Joint Syntax Working Group (JSWG)
Design Center	Produces standards
Interrelations	ISO, IEC, ITU, OASIS, UN/CEC, UN/EDIFACT, WTO, WCO, UNCTAD
Contact Information	UN/CEFACT: United Nations Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Commerce