The World Customs Organization (WCO) announced it will formally unveil its theme for next year entitled “A Secure Business Environment for Economic Development” in January.
WCO Secretary General Kunio Mikuriya said the organization’s focus in 2018 will be to find ways for customs to support and enhance the security of the business environment.
“The development of international trade is not an end in itself, but rather a vehicle through which economic development can be achieved. We should, therefore, strive to create an environment for businesses that will foster their participation in trade, for the benefit of all,” said Mikuriya.
“Legitimate businesses require a secure supply chain to prosper, but some threats come from within the trade itself, such as the shipment of illicit goods that could endanger people’s health, safety and security,” he added.
In addition, the importation of illegal goods, such as goods that infringe intellectual property rights (IPR), or legal goods, can do immense harm to a country’s economy.
He said customs can contribute to the increased security of the business environment by focusing on activities that promote an enabling, safe, and fair and sustainable environment including by streamlining procedures, tackling corruption, enhancing integrity, and facilitating the movement of goods, conveyances and people in general.
The annual theme also calls for increased focus on combating cross-border crime, including the illicit funding of international terrorism through trade activities.
“All these different aspects of securing the business environment are invariably connected to the current Customs focus on trade facilitation, in particular the implementation of the WCO Revised Kyoto Convention and the World Trade Organization’s Trade Facilitation Agreement that support the goals contained in the United Nations’ Transforming our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,” said Mikuriya.
Many WCO tools, instruments, and initiatives that have been developed can readily assist customs administrations in building a secure business environment, such as the WCO SAFE Framework of Standards to Secure and Facilitate Global Trade or the WCO Security Programme.
They not only enhance customs’ overall trade-related processes, they also contribute to an increase in both security and trade facilitation, WCO said.
“By taking advantage of the WCO’s tools, instruments and expertise, Customs has the means to actively secure the global trade landscape,” said WCO.
The WCO’s annual theme for 2018 will be launched on International Customs Day, which is celebrated annually by the global customs community on January 26.
Photo: ATF – DOJ OIG Report
