Stakeholders

Participatory processes, such as policy consultation and cooperation, involve multiple stakeholders. There are many definitions of "stakeholder". What is relevant for any definition is that a stakeholder is a person or a group who has an interest in a given situation, and who is an active player. A stakeholder can also be considered as an actor, in the sense of a person or organization who carries out one or more of the activities in a system. =Trade Facilitation Stakeholders= The field of trade facilitation is characterized by a plurality of stakeholders from the national, regional or international level, and from the public as well as the private sector. A cross-border trade transaction involves, as a minimum: the supplier of the goods, who becomes the exporter; the buyer of the product, or importer; Customs and tax authorities; and a transport operator such as a freight forwarder. The Buy-Ship-Pay Model of an international trade transaction groups the actors according to their roles. They may be
 * Customer
 * Supplier
 * Intermediary, or
 * Authority.

Other models group actors by their core business, meaning the function they perform for the trade transaction. These groups are:
 * Manufacturers, retailers and wholesalers who are active in the business of purchasing and/or selling goods.
 * Shipping and transport companies that organize and take care of the physical movement of goods, or arrange commercial transportation in the case of freight forwarders and logistics companies.
 * Other transport intermediaries such as port and airport authorities, terminal handlers, stevedores and warehouse operators, who are involved in the physical movement of goods.
 * Commercial banks and Insurance companies, which are used by traders for payment of goods, payment of duties and taxes, insurance of goods during transport, insurance of vehicles, and the deposit of guarantees and securities.
 * Other intermediaries, who are involved in the fulfilment of procedures, including customs brokers and Single Window operators.
 * Government or public bodies that encompass executive agencies, government departments or ministries at state and federal (regional) levels. Their role/business is to authorize and control the cross-border movement of goods and enforce national legislation.

Role of associations
Another group of stakeholders is the business or trade and industry associations. These represent multiple members and may be organized for specific business sectors (e.g. the shippers' councils) or for the private sector as the whole (e.g. chamber of commerce, association of employers). Trade and industry associations can also have an international or regional dimension. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the International Federation of Freight Forwarders Association (FIATA) are examples of international transport organizations, and the International Chamber of Commerce is the international association of chambers of commerce. These associations are usually set up to represent their members' interest in national policy processes and to disseminate information to and from their members. They often also have a key role in the organization of the supply chain and related standards development (see Trade Organizations). Trade and industry associations are trade facilitation stakeholders essential to stakeholder dialogue. It is usually impossible for individual companies/entities to follow and participate in all consultative processes for reasons of lack of time and information. Governmental bodies can also be asked not to invite all traders to participatory processes. Associations therefore often become the counterparts for governments in these stakeholder processes.

Governmental stakeholders
Although Customs is usually the first body that comes to mind when considering cross-border trade, there are many other governmental agencies involved in the regulation of trade in goods. The persons and means of transport accompanying the goods also have to fulfil multiple requirements (see goods specific requirements). These agencies, other than Customs, are referred to as Other Governmental Agencies (OGA). They include bodies having responsibilities for: Many, but not all, of these public agencies are physically present at border crossings and border stations and intervene in the clearance process. Those that are present are referred to as Border Agencies. =Stakeholder Identification= Multiple trade facilitation stakeholders are linked to each other in one way or another. They are usually part of a network of multiple dependencies and relationships that shapes their behaviour and attitudes toward each other. These relationships are activated and strengthened in participatory processes. Analysis of the stakeholders, their attitudes, interests and relations is usually the first step in identifying the relevant stakeholders that should become part of a cooperative process. A stakeholder analysis provides information on who exactly the national trade facilitation stakeholders are, why they should become involved, and what their interests are.
 * Agriculture products, including fish and livestock
 * Food products
 * Immigration
 * Environment, including protection against chemicals
 * Health and narcotics
 * Telecommunications and ICT equipment
 * Consumer protection
 * Collection of taxes and duties
 * Weapons, and arms and nuclear safety
 * Transport safety
 * Border control
 * Public works and infrastructure development