UNITED
NATIONS ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR EUROPE
Recommendation No. 16
UN/LOCODE - CODE FOR PORTS AND OTHER LOCATIONS
(THIRD EDITION)
(Geneva, XII.1998)
The
work to prepare codes, i.a for ports commenced in 1972, when the UN/ECE Working
Party on Facilitation of International Trade Procedures agreed to include this
task in its programme of work, later on specified as follows: "to
establish the need to designate various locations involved in external trade
(cities, ports, airports, border crossings, terminals, etc. with a view to the
subsequent creation of codes". After consultation with other regional
United Nations commissions (ECLAC and ESCAP) and with the International Air
Transport Association (IATA), a programme of action for the development of a
code was agreed in September 1977. As a result, a draft Recommendation was
submitted to the Working Party on Facilitation of International Trade
Procedures and adopted at its twelfth session in September 1980. The Working
Party, at its forty-second session in September 1995, approved a second edition
of Recommendation No. 16, based on secretariat proposals for amendments and
including an Annex containing the UN/LOCODE Manual.
As
a result of re-engineering its structures and work in order to become more
efficient and effective, in March of 1997 the Working Party on Facilitation of
International Trade Procedures became the Centre for the Facilitation of
Procedures and Practices for Administration, Commerce and Transport
(UN/CEFACT).
Based
on proposals put forward by an Ad Hoc Group of Experts, UN/CEFACT, at its
fourth session in September 1998, adopted the third edition of Recommendation
No. 16.
At
its fourth CEFACT Session in September 1998, representatives attended from the
following countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada,
Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iran (Islamic
Republic of), Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Nigeria,
Poland, Republic of Korea, Romania, Russian Federation, Slovakia, Slovenia,
Spain, Sweden, Tunisia, Turkey, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern
Ireland and United States of America. The European Union (EU), the following
inter-governmental organizations:
Bank
for International Settlements (BIS) and the World Trade Organization (WTO).,
the following United Nations bodies: The United Nations Conference on Trade and
Development (UNCTAD) and the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), the
following non-governmental organizations: European Electronic Messaging Association
(EEMA), International Article Numbering Association (EAN) International
Association of Ports and Harbours (IAPH), International Organization for
Standardization (ISO), Societe Internationale de Telecommunications
Aeronautiques (SITA), Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial
Telecommunications (S.W.I.F.T) and the United Towns Agency for North-South
Cooperation., and as Observers: representatives from the Association of
Committees on Simplified Procedures for International Trade within the European
Community and the European Free Trade Association (EUROPRO), Electronic
Commerce Europe Association (ECEA), European Board for EDI/EC Standardization
(EBES), International Federation of Inspection Agencies (IFIA), Taipei EDIFACT
Committee (TEC).
The
Centre for the Facilitation of Procedures and Practices for Administration
Commerce and Transport (UN/CEFACT),
Being
aware of the need for an internationally agreed code system to represent names
of certain locations of interest in international trade and transport;
Considering
that the code system should be based on the two-letter alphabetic codes for the
representation of names of countries, adopted in International Standard ISO
3166 and recommended by the Working Party in October 1974;
Recommends
that the five-character code system described hereafter should be used for
purposes of trade to designate locations whenever there is a need for a coded
representation for the names of ports, airports, inland clearance depots,
inland freight terminals and other transport related locations, such as places
of receipt and delivery, which are used for goods movements associated with
trade (for example locations where Customs clearance of goods can take place),
or otherwise proposed by Governments;
Invites
Governments to transmit lists of entities with code designations according to
the established criteria and to ensure that each national list is continuously
updated and communicated to the United Nations secretariat, responsible for the
maintenance of the code system.
1.
The identification of a particular location is frequently required in
information interchange in international trade and transport, to direct the
movement of goods, e.g. in addresses, in shipping marks, and in data elements
identifying ports of call, ports or places of loading or unloading, ports or
places of transhipment and destination, places of clearance by Customs, etc.
2.
The names of such locations are often spelt in different ways and sometimes the
same location is given different names in different languages (e.g. LIVORNO -
LIBOURNE - LEGHORN; LONDON - LONDRES - LONDRA; WARZSAW - VARSOVIE - WARSZAWA -
WARSCHAU), which creates confusion and difficulties in data interchange. The
identification in a unique and unambiguous way of any place involved in
international trade is therefore an essential element for the facilitation of
trade procedures and documentation. This can be achieved by using agreed,
unique coded designations for such locations; this would have the added
advantage of permitting an exchange of data in a safer and more economical way.
3.
For these reasons, in 1972, the Working Party on Facilitation of International
Trade Procedures agreed to include in its programme of work the tasks of
preparing a code for port names and of establishing the need to designate
various locations involved in external trade, with a view to the subsequent
creation of codes.
4.
There are several examples of location code systems in use, covering places in
individual countries, or belonging to a certain category, e.g. airports. Many
countries have developed code systems for distribution of mail. However, these
often include features reflecting methods of postal distribution rendering them
less suitable for general trade purposes.
5.
The first part of the task therefore was to prepare lists of the ports and
other locations to be covered. It became necessary to establish criteria for
the inclusion of names of localities and it was agreed to include - in addition
to airports, inland freight terminals and maritime ports as defined for this
purpose - other locations where goods have their status changed from moving in
international to national traffic, i.e. normally places with Customs clearance
facilities (including locations referred to as "frontier crossing
points"). Moreover, it was felt that any other locations could be included
at the request of the Government concerned (in the present version, the
criteria for inclusion have been extended to cover all locations which are frequently
used for goods movements associated with international trade).
6.
Major contributions towards the establishment of the entity list were made by
the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), the International Association of
Ports and Harbours (IAPH), the Economic Commission for Latin America and the
Caribbean (ECLAC), and the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the
Pacific (ESCAP). In addition, the secretariat had full-access to the list of
airports and other locations maintained by the International Air Transport
Association (IATA). Contributions were also received from a number of
Governments.
7.
As to the code structure, particular attention was given to the three-letter
alphabetical code already used within the air transport industry to designate
airports and certain other locations. These codes have been widely used over a
long period, have in most cases a mnemonic link to the place name, and have
been introduced in other applications, notably in the ports code developed by
ECLAC. It was, however, appreciated that the number of locations that could be
foreseen, and the desirability of maintaining a reasonable mnemonic link,
whilst at the same time avoiding duplication of code designations for places
with similar names, would require a code consisting of more than three
alphabetic characters. The solution preferred was to add two characters
designating the country, in accordance with International Standard ISO
3166/1974 and recommended by the Working Party in October 1974, thus including
a further element of identification and limiting the need for uniqueness of the
location code for each place name to the country concerned.
8.
The question of a numerical code alternative was considered, particularly for
countries where the Roman alphabet is not widely used. However, there has been
no subsequent demand for a numerical code. The need to add classifying elements
to the basic code element was demonstrated. Such classifying elements which are
generally required and accepted have been included in the code list in the
course of its continuous updating and maintenance.
9.
This Recommendation aims at (a) providing a list of such locations which are of
interest in international trade and transport and whose names need to be quoted
in an unambiguous way in data interchange, (b) establishing coded
representations of the names of these locations and (c) giving guidance for
their use.
10.
This Recommendation applies in all cases where a coded representation is
required for names of ports, airports, inland clearance depots and freight
terminals and other locations, such as places of receipt and delivery, which
are used for goods movements associated with trade, for use in information
exchange between participants in such trade.
11.
The following definitions have been adopted for the purposes of this
Recommendation:
Port: Any location with
permanent facilities at which vessels can load or discharge cargo moving in
maritime traffic.
Airport: Any location with
permanent facilities at which aircraft can load or discharge cargo moving in
air traffic.
Inland Clearance Depot
(ICD): A common user facility, other than a port or an airport, approved by a
competent body, equipped with fixed installations and offering services for
handling and temporary storage of any kind of goods (including containers)
carried under Customs transit by any applicable mode of transport, placed under
Customs control and with Customs and other agencies competent to clear goods
for home use, warehousing, temporary admission, re-export, temporary storage
for onward transit and outright export. (Definition applies also to synonyms
like Dry Port, Inland Clearance Terminal, etc.)
Inland freight terminal: Any
facility, other than a port or an airport, operated on a common-user basis, at
which cargo in trade is received or dispatched.
Location: Any named
geographical place, recognised by a competent national body, either with
permanent facilities used for goods movements associated with trade, and used
for these purposes, or proposed by the Government concerned or by a competent
national or international organisation for inclusion in the UN/LOCODE..
12.
The following general definitions apply for the purposes of this
Recommendation:
Code: Data transformation or
data representation in different forms according to pre-established rules.
(Definition adapted from ISO 5127-1:1983)
Code element: Result of
applying a code to an element in a set of elements to be coded (In UN/LOCODE,
one code element represents the name of a port, an airport, inland clearance
depot, inland freight terminal, or a location). (Definition adapted from ISO
2382-4/1987)
13.
The following references serve as supporting documentation to this
Recommendation:
ISO 8859-1/1987
"Information Processing -8-bit single-byte coded graphic character sets -
Part 1: Latin Alphabet No. 1"
ISO 10646-1/1993
"Information Technology - Universal Multiple-Octet Coded Character Set
(UCS) - Part 1"
ISO 3166-1/1997 "Codes
for the representation of Names of countries and their sub-divisions - Part 1:
Country Codes"
ISO 3166-2/1998 "Codes
for the representation of Names of countries and their sub-divisions - Part 2:
Country subdivision code"
IATA Airline Coding
Directory (published quarterly)
ECLA Ports Code, Edition
March 1978
ESCAP Port Code of the
World, 1979
UN/ECE/FAL Recommendation
No. 3 on ISO Country Code - Codes for the Representation of Names of Countries
Gazetteers or other
reference works of location names nominated to and accepted by UN/CEFACT to
serve as a support to the UN/LOCODE
14.
The code system laid down in this Recommendation may be referred to as the
"United Nations LOCODE" (UN/LOCODE).
15.
UN/LOCODE is intended to cover ports, airports, inland clearance depots and
freight terminals and other locations, as defined above, for purposes of
international trade data interchange.
16.
It is recognised that the coverage may not be complete for all applications,
and that code elements for locations which may not be of interest in
international trade might be needed for domestic purposes in conjunction with
the international code. Although such additional entities might not be shown in
the published code element list, they may be included in the records and code
elements reserved by the secretariat, as appropriate, in consultation with
Governments and international bodies concerned, as part of the updating and
maintenance procedures. It is also recognised that users might wish to make a
selection of relevant entities from the published list, and that abridged
versions might be established for particular applications.
17.
Place names, code elements and designations used in UN/LOCODE do not reflect
any opinion concerning international, national, local or other boundaries,
ownership or administrative jurisdiction, but merely aim at providing
unambiguous and unique code elements to represent the names of the locations
included.
VII. STRUCTURE AND PRESENTATION OF THE
UN/LOCODE
18.
In addition to the present formal Recommendation, the UN/LOCODE includes, as an
Annex, the UN/LOCODE Manual which has three parts. Part 1 provides the
technical details and further information regarding the features of the
UN/LOCODE. Part 2 contains the actual code list with a list of place names,
each with a code element and supported by certain classifiers and reference
data, while Part 3 contains support codes. The UN/LOCODE is published in
electronic form on the Internet World Wide Web, and, upon request, on diskette.
The text of Part 1 is also attached hereto in printed form.
19.
The list of place names is based on submissions received from Governments,
national facilitation bodies and international organisations, or on requests
received from users. In countries with more than one national language, more
than one name version may be included.
20.
A five-character code element is provided for each location included in
UN/LOCODE and consists of:
two
letters identifying the country, according to the ISO 3166 two-letter Code for
the representation of names of countries, and UN/ECE/FAL Recommendation No. 3;
three characters identifying
the location within the country.
These characters are either:
- obtained from the IATA
list of Location Identifiers;
- obtained from the
Government concerned; or
- selected by the
secretariat after consultation with national or international bodies concerned,
as appropriate. If consultation has not been possible, the secretariat selects
code elements by using, as far as possible, a combination of letters of
significance within the name, always avoiding duplication of code elements
within the country.
21.
When code elements have been selected by the secretariat, they will be
presented ad interim pending confirmation.
22.
Some classifier functions which might be useful for particular applications in
various user environments are incorporated in the data record maintained by the
secretariat. Those indicating administrative subdivision, function,
geographical area, status and approval date are shown after the location code
element itself, as explained in the UN/LOCODE Manual in the annex to this
Recommendation.
23.
The UN/LOCODE code list takes the form of a computer file, with countries
listed in two-letter alphabetic country code order and with locations listed in
alphabetic place name order within each country. The inclusion of classifiers
enables the separate listing of locations of one category, e.g. ports, or the
grouping of locations in one country according to their functions. There is
also a possibility of grouping locations by geographic region or subregion by
aggregation of countries, or of maritime ports in geographical areas.
24.
UN/LOCODE is incorporated in the ECE database and will be available on the
Internet World Wide Web and on computer diskettes; extracts may exceptionally
be available as paper printouts. The UN/CEFACT secretariat should be contacted
in order to obtain information on technical and other conditions under which
the code list can be procured.
25.
UN/LOCODE will be continuously maintained on behalf of UN/CEFACT through the
UN/LOCODE Maintenance Agency and the UN/CEFACT secretariat located in the
United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (referred to as "the
secretariat" throughout this Recommendation and Manual). Updated versions
of UN/LOCODE will be issued annually; in addition, updating supplements may be
issued occasionally when justified e.g. by the number or nature of amendments
between annual issues. The UN/LOCODE will be published in electronic form.
26.
Amendments to UN/LOCODE may take the form of adding locations, or changing or
deleting existing entries. Such amendments may be made ex officio by the UN/ECE
secretariat or proposed by the national authority or international organisation
concerned, or by users of the UN/LOCODE. All proposals for amendments will be
processed in accordance with the procedure described in the Manual. Amended
entries will be marked in the code list; code elements for deleted locations
will be reserved for five years, as will any code element which has been
changed.
27.
In order to expedite the processing of proposals for locations to be included
in the UN/LOCODE, UN/CEFACT may nominate international gazetteers to serve as a
reference for use as outlined in the Manual. National authorities concerned may
nominate national gazetteers or lists of location names for use as outlined in
the Manual. Names of locations should be shown using the 26 letters of the
Roman alphabet with, where appropriate, diacritic signs as contained in ISO
10646-1/1993 or ISO 8859-1/1987.
28.
Proposals for amendments of a more comprehensive nature, or on matters of principle,
will be dealt with by the UN/CEFACT Codes Working Group (CDWG), which will
advise the secretariat on the most appropriate action to be taken, subject to
reporting to and final approval by UN/CEFACT.
Requests for inclusion of additional
locations
29.
Requests for inclusion of additional locations and other changes in the
UN/LOCODE should be addressed to the Trade Facilitation Section, United Nations
Economic Commission for Europe, Palais des Nations, CH-1211 GENEVE 10,
Switzerland, in the form explained in the UN/LOCODE Manual.
1.1.1
The designations employed and the presentation of the material in the United
Nations Code for ports and other locations (UN/LOCODE) do not imply the
expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the
United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or
area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or
boundaries.
1.1.2
Reference to any private entity (company) does not imply recognition or
endorsement by the United Nations.
1.1.3
UN/LOCODE is provided as a service to users, in the framework of the trade
facilitation effort undertaken within the United Nations Secretariat. The
Secretariat has no means of verifying the accuracy of the contents of UN/LOCODE
but endeavours to obtain approval thereof by national authorities and
international bodies concerned. The indication of status is intended to enable
users to assess the credibility of the code entries; particular care should be
exercised in using codes with status RQ (Request under consideration). The
United Nations Secretariat assumes no responsibility for any economic or other
damage consequential to the use of UN/LOCODE..
1.1.4
The presentation of location names in the UN/LOCODE does not imply the
expression of any opinion concerning the legal status of any spelling of such
names. The UN/LOCODE is provided purely as a service to its users in the
framework of trade facilitation. In that context, the presentation of location
names in the UN/LOCODE should be regarded as the standard spelling of those
names acceptable for purposes associated with trade and transport.