Committee Structure

The WCO is governed by a Council, which brings together all the Members of the Organization once a year, in a meeting chaired by an elected representative. It is assisted by the Policy Commission (24 Members) with financial advice from the Finance Committee (17 Members).

• The Enforcement Committee

works toward the protection of society in the broadest sense of the term. It co-operates with a wide network of partners including Interpol, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), The United Nations Education Science and Culture Organization (UNESCO), the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), the European Community (EC), the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of wild fauna and flora (CITES), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and with various private sector representatives.

• The Permanent Technical Committee

works with the World Trade Organization (WTO), the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD), the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP), the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of wild fauna and flora (CITES), the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent (PIC) Procedure (PIC).

• The Technical Committee on Rules of Origin

has competence in the application of the Rules of Origin of the World Trade Organization (WTO). It collaborates with the WTO’s Committee on Rules of Origin (CRO), and has granted observer status to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD) and the ICC.

• The Technical Committee on Customs Valuation

ensures the uniform interpretation of WTO rules governing the valuation of goods. It exemplifies the close co-operation that exists between the WTO and the WCO.