World Customs Organization Dialogues with Regional Customs Administrators
24 April 2012
The World Customs Organization (WCO) for the East and Southern Africa (ESA) Region organized its first dialogue between customs administrations and international cooperating partners from March 15-16 in Port Louis, Mauritius. Sixteen of the 22 ESA customs administrations were in attendance alongside representatives of the World Bank, African Development Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF), Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Finland, Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Southern Africa Trade Hub.
The dialogue explored a number of aims, including the development of a mutual understanding around the strategic objectives of Customs in the region and the key issues driving cooperating partners. It also resulted in an exchange around customs reform and modernization initiatives that are underway and planned, serving to create new linkages between these initiatives taking into consideration the broad agenda of the African Union as well as the global developments. According to Mauritius Acting Director of Customs and the WCO Vice-Chair for the ESA Region, Mr. Vivekanand Ramburun, “the Dialogue was a very positive first step to develop a coordination framework in the region between Customs and all cooperating partners”.
The dialogue endorsed the WCO’s Project Map Database as an instrument that can serve to share information on customs modernization among customs administrations and cooperating partners. It also enables Customs Administrations to identify their needs and to manage knowledge around reform and modernization. “The event served to strengthen on-going activities and helped forge new partnerships in a practical way that leverages on all efforts and prevents overlap,” explains Mr. Erich Kieck, Director for Capacity Building, World Customs Organization.
SATH presented its trade facilitation activities with a specific focus on Regional Customs Connectivity pilot and Single Electronic Window program. SATH also used the opportunity to announce that it will host an international trade facilitation conference in partnership with the WCO in Johannesburg, South Africa, in September 2012 to which the Regional Heads of Customs and other stakeholders will be invited. The WCO and customs administrations present all expressed their interest in this event.
The dialogue explored a number of aims, including the development of a mutual understanding around the strategic objectives of Customs in the region and the key issues driving cooperating partners. It also resulted in an exchange around customs reform and modernization initiatives that are underway and planned, serving to create new linkages between these initiatives taking into consideration the broad agenda of the African Union as well as the global developments. According to Mauritius Acting Director of Customs and the WCO Vice-Chair for the ESA Region, Mr. Vivekanand Ramburun, “the Dialogue was a very positive first step to develop a coordination framework in the region between Customs and all cooperating partners”.
The dialogue endorsed the WCO’s Project Map Database as an instrument that can serve to share information on customs modernization among customs administrations and cooperating partners. It also enables Customs Administrations to identify their needs and to manage knowledge around reform and modernization. “The event served to strengthen on-going activities and helped forge new partnerships in a practical way that leverages on all efforts and prevents overlap,” explains Mr. Erich Kieck, Director for Capacity Building, World Customs Organization.
SATH presented its trade facilitation activities with a specific focus on Regional Customs Connectivity pilot and Single Electronic Window program. SATH also used the opportunity to announce that it will host an international trade facilitation conference in partnership with the WCO in Johannesburg, South Africa, in September 2012 to which the Regional Heads of Customs and other stakeholders will be invited. The WCO and customs administrations present all expressed their interest in this event.
Activities