Not to be missed!

 

The Counter-Terrorism Committee of the United Nations Security Council is charged with assessing country compliance with binding Security Council Resolution 1373. This Resolution requires all U.N. Members to take steps to enhance border security. The WCO has participated on multi-disciplinary teams on various country visits since 2005.

 

 

The partnership between the World Customs Organization (WCO) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is based on a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed in November 1996. UNODC and WCO have successfully been working together on a number of international activities. The most recent common project is the so-called ‘UNODC-WCO Container Control Programme’

 

 

The International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) in Vienna, Austria, monitors the implementation of the United Nations drug control conventions. Under the auspices of INCB, two projects namely ‘Project Cohesion’ and ‘Project PRISM’, have been launched. They are aimed at assisting Governments in the fight against the illicit trafficking/diversion of precursor chemicals and synthetic drugs. The WCO is a continuing member of the project’s Task Forces.

 

 

The WCO Secretariat and the Interpol (International Criminal Police Organization –ICPO) have been working together very closely on a wide range of issues, in particular in combating of cross-border criminal activities, such as drugs, IPR, cultural heritage, cigarettes, small arms and light weapons (SALW), environmental crime. The two Secretariats signed a MOU in 2003. The joint Interpol/WCO Operation Andes, targeting illegal trafficking of precursor chemicals, and joined by all countries in South America has been successfully launched twice, and the third is planned to kick off in near future. The 4^th Global Congress on Combating Counterfeiting and Piracy will be hosted by the WCO early in February 2008 with the support of Interpol and the WIPO.

 

 

Since the signature of a Co-operation Agreement in 2002, the WCO and Europol have established and maintained close co-operation in combating serious international organized crime, such as cooperation amongst WCO, OLAF (European Anti-Fraud Office) and Europol in counteracting the illicit manufacture of cigarettes.

 

 

 

 

The World Intellectual Property Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations based in Geneva, Switzerland, whose aim is to develop a balanced and accessible international intellectual property system. The WCO and WIPO closely co-operate in promoting the effective use and protection of IP worldwide.

 

 

The WCO Secretariat maintains close cooperation with the FATF and FATF-Style Regional Bodies, such as Asia and Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APG) and Intergovernmental Action Group Against Money Laundering in Africa (GIABA), to devise and promote international best practices in countering money laundering for Customs.

 

 

The WCO and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) signed a MOU in 2003. Since 2001, the WCO has been a very active Partner to the Green Customs Initiatives (GCI), which is a series of collaborative activities by partner organizations, coordinated by the UNEP and aimed at raising the awareness of Customs officers to trade-related Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs). The two organizations work closely to combat the illegal trade in Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS), the Regional Intelligence Liaison Offices (RILO) also support initiatives of UNEP’s regional offices.

 

 

The WCO Secretariat has a long working relationship with the CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) Secretariat for the implementation of CITES, based on the MOU signed by both Organizations in 1996. A WCO/CITES Working Group was set up in 1996, training materials have been jointly developed and distributed to Customs administrations, and seminars and workshops have been jointly organized for the training of Customs officers. The two Secretariats launched a data exchange project on global ivory seizures in November 2006.

 

 

The WCO and the World Health Organization work together on issues such as counterfeiting pharmaceuticals and avian influenza. The WCO is an active member of the International Medical Products Anti-Counterfeiting Taskforce (IMPACT) project coordinated by the WHO.

 

 

Working relations between WCO and IAEA in devising tactics and strategies to combat illicit trafficking in nuclear and radioactive materials, as well as facilitation of the exchange of information, resulted in the establishment of Memorandum of understanding in May 1998. It provides a framework for promoting co-operation at a national level between national customs administrations and regulatory bodies responsible for the control of nuclear and radioactive material.

 

 

WCO supports regional initiatives to promote:

WCO secretariat maintains close cooperation with the SECI Center since the meetings for establishment of the Center to combat trans-border crime.

 

 

To combat the illicit traffic in cultural property, the WCO and ICOM signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that allows both the organizations to jointly draft and implement, each in its own field of competence, measures to improve co‑operation and information exchange. It is envisioned that Customs authorities and ICOM member authorities engage in these activities with a view to making the fraud analyses and profiles prepared for Customs services more effective.

 

 

With a view to combating illicit traffic in cultural property, the WCO and UNESCO signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to determine and implement, each within its own field of competence, ways and means of enhancing co-operation. The MoU foresees exchange of information between customs authorities and the competent authorities recognized by UNESCO for the protection of cultural heritage and enhancement of the effectiveness of fraud investigations and fraud profiles drawn up by inspection services.

 

 

The Customs Control Committee -Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Kazakhstan- and the Customs Administration of the Czech Republic signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the WCO each, for the establishment of WCO Regional Dog Training Centres. The modern training premises can now be found in Almaty, Republic of Kazakhstan, and Heřmanice, Czech Republic.