Brussels, 30 March 2012

Report

Secretary General of the WCO, Kunio Mikuriya, joined US Ambassador to the European Union, the Honourable William E. Kennard, at the closing of the Practitioner’s Workshop on “Improving Effectiveness for Seized Asset Management” organized by the United States at WCO Headquarters on 30 March2012.

The Workshop was led by US Customs and Border Protection’s Brussels-based Attaché, and focused on encouraging proactive engagement and open dialogue among technical experts to complement and address elements of the WCO Compendium of Customs Operational Practices for Enforcement and Seizures (COPES).

In his closing remarks, Ambassador Kennard said that global Customs cooperation contributed to job creation, economic growth, security and sustainability for both governments and the private sector, and continued cooperation led by the WCO, particularly in the enforcement, security and trade facilitation area, is forging new opportunities daily and playing a vital role in spurring global economic recovery.

Secretary General Mikuriya underscored the critical need for cooperation and connectivity between Customs administrations as they were the “first line of defence” for goods crossing borders, making it vital to combat all forms of illicit traffic while supporting and facilitating legitimate trade, thereby securing the global supply chain and enhancing the economic competitiveness of all WCO Members.

The Workshop enabled Customs officials to return to their home administrations with new and practical ideas/options that can be actively considered for ready implementation, thereby producing a tangible result in a practical area of Customs risk management.