UN+LOCODE

UN/LOCODE is a code listwhich assigns codes to locations used in trade and transport with functions such as seaports, airports, rail and road terminals, post offices and border crossing points. It is divided by country and subdivision and is mapped to IATA codes. It is adopted as part of UNECE Recommendation No. 16

Documents have a common layout which originally allowed carbonised copies to be used to avoid rekeying. Similarly with electronic systems, the documents can be used as the basis of electronic forms which have a common data-set. The following diagrams show the common layout and an actual implementation in common usage. According to UNECE LOCODE webpage;

The "United Nations Code for Trade and Transport Locations" is commonly more known as "UN/LOCODE". Although managed and maintained by the UNECE, it is the product of a wide collaboration in the framework of the joint trade facilitation effort undertaken within the United Nations.

Initiated within the UNECE Working Party on Trade Facilitation, UN/LOCODE is based on a code structure set up by UN/ECLAC and a list of locations originating in UN/ESCAP, developed in UNCTAD in co-operation with transport organisations like IATA and the ICS and with active contributions from national governments and commercial bodies. Its first issue in 1981 provided codes to represent the names of some 8.000 locations in the world.

Currently, UN/LOCODE includes over 81.000 locations in 243 countries and installations in international waters. It is used by most major shipping companies, by freight forwarders and in the manufacturing industry around the world. It is also applied by national governments and in trade related activities, such as statistics where it is used by the European Union, by the UPU for certain postal services, etc ([|read more....])