UNCEFACTs

UNCEFACTs are standards and recommendations produced by the United Nations Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business (UN/CEFACT) to enable efficient, interoperable data exchange in international trade. UN/CEFACT operates within the United Nations system and is hosted by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) in Geneva. Its mandate is to simplify and harmonize trade procedures and to promote electronic business across borders.

The UNCEFACTs cover semantic data models, message structures, and methodological approaches used by governments, businesses, and international organizations. Notable outputs include the Core Component Library (CCL), a library of reusable data components; the Core Component Technical Specification (CCTS) for assembling components; and the Unified Modeling Methodology (UMM) for developing semantic models. The standards underpin cross-border electronic messages and documents, such as invoices, orders, and customs declarations. UN/CEFACT has also contributed to ebXML, a joint initiative with OASIS to enable XML-based business documents and messaging.

A widely recognized example is the Cross-Industry Invoice (CII), an electronic invoicing standard designed to support multiple sectors and harmonize invoicing data across borders. UNCEFACTs are intended to be neutral and applicable across industries, governments, and borders, helping to reduce data re-entry, errors, and delays, while lowering costs and improving interoperability in trade logistics and administration.

Governance is conducted through intergovernmental forums and expert working groups, with member states and industry representatives participating in the development and review of UNCEFACT outputs before publication.