Tag / WCO World Customs Organisation

by Mike Poverello

WCO Council Adopts Resolution on Strengthening Customs-Industry Resilience

On 30 June 2024, the World Customs Organization (WCO) Council approved a Resolution of the Customs Co-operation Council on Strengthening Customs-Industry Resilience. This new Resolution, developed under the leadership of Australia, responds to the growing need for collaboration between Customs administrations and industry partners to ensure global security and economic stability amidst rapid technological advancements, environmental challenges, and other emerging threats. Recognizing the critical role Customs played during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Resolution seeks to evolve the Customs-Industry relationship from a focus on trade facilitation to building resilience in the supply chain.

The Resolution emphasizes the importance of committing to resilience as a strategic priority, encouraging Customs administrations to review and develop robust business continuity plans that are prepared for disruptive global events. It also highlights the need for innovative partnerships, urging the reaffirmation of existing relationships while fostering new collaborations. A key component of the Resolution is the enhancement of digitalization and the adoption of paperless trade practices, advocating for the use of secure digital formats for risk assessment and clearance processes.

Building trust through increased data sharing and information exchange is another crucial element, with a specific focus on strengthening relationships with Authorized Economic Operators (AEOs) and enhancing the benefits of AEO programmes. Capacity-building activities are also encouraged to ensure Customs and Industry can respond agilely to disruptions. The Resolution calls on the WCO to support Members in implementing these measures, particularly through the enhancement of AEO programmes and cooperation with international industry stakeholders. Monitoring of the Resolution’s implementation will be overseen by the Permanent Technical Committee and the Enforcement Committee.

The Private Sector Consultative Group (PSCG) is invited to support the actions reflected in this Resolution by driving industry engagement through its global network. This Resolution marks a significant step towards creating a more resilient global trade environment by fostering stronger partnerships and leveraging digital technologies to build a secure and efficient supply chain capable of withstanding future disruptions.

Source: WCO website, 17 July 2024

by Mike Poverello

SADC Customs Training Course on NTBs in cooperation with the WCO

SADC organizes a Customs Training of Trainers Course on NTBs in cooperation with the WCO [SADC]

SADC organizes a Customs Training of Trainers Course on NTBs in cooperation with the WCO [SADC]

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) organized a Training Course under its Customs Training of Trainers (TOT) Programme between 17 to 20 November 2014 at its Headquarters (Gaborone, Botswana). The training was conducted in collaboration with the World Customs Organization (WCO), the WCO Regional Office for Capacity Building (ROCB) for the Eastern and Southern Africa Region, and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). Forty-two senior Customs officers from 13 of SADC’s 15 Member States, many of whom are active in their administrations’ training departments, participated in the Training Course.

The main objective of the TOT Programme is to provide technical and professional support, particularly in view of the contribution by Customs administrations to the consolidation of the SADC Free Trade Area and the successful implementation of the SADC Protocol on Trade. This will be achieved through the TOT Course on Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs), which continue to be major stumbling blocks to trade in the region and many of which are Customs-related (or perceived as such). Participants who complete the Training Course will disseminate the knowledge gained, at national level, to relevant stakeholders including Customs officers from their own administrations.

Participants learnt the basic principles and definition of Non-Tariff Measures and NTBs, covering the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Agreement) and inter-regional initiatives such as the online NTB monitoring mechanism and national monitoring committees. They also gained an overview of the Agreement on Trade Facilitation (TFA) recently concluded under the auspices of the WTO. The WCO gave an introduction to its tools and instruments for applying trade facilitation measures and to the Revised Kyoto Convention (RKC). Particular emphasis was placed on the new Transit Handbook and the TFA Implementation Guidance.

The course was highly interactive and participants shared their views on the importance of global standards to facilitate regional integration and various trade facilitation measures. They discussed how they could promote Coordinated Border Management (CBM) and increase public-private dialogue at national and regional level. Source: WCO