WCO Secretary General meets US Secretary of US Homeland Security
Washington, DC, 23 February 2012
Report
Secretary General of the WCO, Kunio Mikuriya met US Secretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano, on 23 February 2012at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Headquarters in Washington, DC, to discuss a wide range of topical issues during which they acknowledged the excellent working relationship that exists between the two organizations.
A number of further cooperative measures were discussed subsequently in greater detail with Alan Bersin, the former Commissioner of US Customs and Border Protection (US CBP), and now DHS Assistant Secretary of International Affairs & Chief Diplomatic Officer.
Secretary Napolitano welcomed the recent meeting of the Secretary General with the Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN), Ban Ki-moon, as recognition of the role of Customs and the close cooperation between the WCO and the UN.
They discussed the recently published US National Strategy for Global Supply Chain Security. Secretary General Mikuriya welcomed the emphasis on risk management and a multi-layered approach to Customs control set out in the Strategy.Secretary Napolitano expressed her wish to continue to work through the WCO to enhance international cooperation, including in the areas of Authorized Economic Operators (AEO) and supply chain security.She undertook to consider attending forthcoming WCO events where her participation would give added impetus.
Recognizing the leading role of the WCO in the development of the Global Shield Programme, Secretary Napolitano expressed the desire to have the programme become truly global with the participation of all Members of the WCO in the future.She pledged to continue supporting the WCO’s work on global supply chain security and Global Shied includingmaking additional resources available in consultation with the WCO Secretariat.
In addition, there was discussion on how best the US might assist the WCO with training for WCO Members who had recently undergone regime change or who needed assistance to fully participate in the global trading system. Both parties are aware of the need to put in place strong Customs administrations to secure not only revenue and the supply chain but also to facilitate participation in global trade by the implementation of trade facilitation measures. Further discussions will take place on this subject with a view to the development of additional focus on specific training in key locations.
In conclusion, Secretary General Mikuriya expressed his appreciation to Secretary Napolitano for the funding provided by the US for the enlargement of the Global Shied Programme and the development of the Cargo Targeting System.The meeting was followed by a visit to the US National Targeting Center to look at various operations, including the Air Cargo Advanced Screening Pilot Project (ACAS).
During his visit to Washington, DC the Secretary General also met David Aguilera, Acting Commissioner of CBP and John Morton, Director of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Secretary General Mikuriya expressed his appreciation for the on-going support for WCO activities from both CBP and ICE. Discussions focused on air cargo security, assistance to the WCO by way of resources and cooperation on actions, including training initiatives to fight IPR violations.He also met National Security staff at the White House to further discuss the impact of the US National Strategy for Global Supply Chain Security and its future development.
The Secretary General also took the opportunity to meet Washington-based Customs Attachés to review various issues of interest arising from the recent WCO Policy Commission meeting in Abuja, Nigeria and the published paper on the US National Strategy for Global Supply Chain Security.