The World Customs Organization (WCO) and the Organisation for the Prohibition for Chemical Weapons (OPCW) signed on January 13 a memorandum of understanding that expands cooperation to tighten national and international controls on the trade in toxic chemicals.
The new agreement puts in place procedures to further enhance cooperation between the WCO and the OPCW through consultations, exchanges of information and documents, technical cooperation, as well as cross-representation at relevant meetings, said a WCO statement. The memorandum was signed by WCO Secretary General Kunio Mikuriya and OPCW Director-General Ahmet Üzümcü.
“This strategic partnership constitutes a significant step forward to assist State Parties’ efforts in enhancing the capabilities of national Customs authorities to exercise the oversight necessary for the trade in dual-use chemicals. This will help them prevent the misuse of toxic chemicals, and promote peaceful use of chemistry, thus contributing to a safer world. Current threats posed by non-state actors make control over these transfers especially important for international security,” said Üzümcü.
“I am pleased that in a partnership with the OPCW, we can continue to put Customs administrations in a better position to meet the complex challenges posed by the illegal trade in toxic and dual-use chemicals. By combining our expertise and resources, as well as our years of experience in building enforcement capacity and strengthening trade controls, this partnership provides the WCO and the OPCW with the means to mobilize Customs officials worldwide, enabling a significant impact to be made on the ground at borders,” said Mikuriya.
Customs authorities around the world play a significant role in detecting and preventing the illegal trade in chemicals relevant to the OPCW’s Chemical Weapons Convention, said the statement. A close partnership with the WCO constitutes another step in the OPCW’s path to reducing the risk of chemicals used as weapons.
Photo: Mark Hesseltine
