Visit of the SIECA Secretary General to WCO Headquarters

30 November 2009

Visit of the SIECA Secretary General to WCO Headquarters

26 November 2009

Report

On 26 November 2009, Secretary General of the WCO, Kunio Mikuriya, met with the Secretary General of the Secretariat for Central American Economic Integration (SIECA), Ms. Yolanda Mayora de Gavidia, at WCO Headquarters. The five SIECA Members (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua) are also Members of the WCO.

The two Secretaries-General discussed a wide range of topics of mutual interest including progress with the establishment of a Customs Union in Central America, trade facilitation, tariff classification, the harmonization and automation of Customs procedures, risk assessment, the exchange of information between Customs administrations, and best practices in the Customs field.

Ms. Mayora de Gavidia provided information on the Central American Customs and Tax School (ECAT), as well as details of technical cooperation projects being implemented by SIECA with assistance from various intergovernmental organizations including the Inter-American Development Bank, the World Bank, the European Union and USAID. She also indicated that, in 2010, SIECA would be celebrating its 50th Anniversary.

Mr. Mikuriya drew attention to the range of WCO-organized events of potential interest and benefit to SIECA and its Members, including the upcoming Revenue Management Conference (Brussels, 11-12 December 2009) and the IT Conference and Exhibition (Dublin, April 2010). He also emphasized the importance of Central American countries acceding to the revised Kyoto Convention and expressed the willingness of the WCO to provide any assistance that might be required in this respect.

Finally, both Secretaries-General pledged to reinforce the two Organizations’ cooperation in areas of mutual interest and concern, and to explore the possibility of concluding a Memorandum of Understanding.