October

  • Secretary General Kunio Mikuriya with the Latvian Minister of Finance, Mr. Andris Vilks, on 30 October 2013 in Riga, Latvia

    Celebration to mark the 20th Anniversary of the foundation of the Latvian State Revenue Service

    31 October 2013

    At the invitation of the State Revenue Service of the Republic of Latvia, WCO Secretary General Kunio Mikuriya participated in an International Scientific Conference on "Sustainable Development of Tax and Customs Administrations within the EU", held on 31 October 2013 in Riga, Latvia. The Conference was dedicated to the 20th Anniversary of the foundation of the State Revenue Service (SRS) and cooperation between SRS and the International Business and Customs Institute of Riga Technical University. The Heads of Customs and Tax Administrations from other Baltic countries, namely Estonia and Lithuania, as well as other international participants attended the Conference.


    read more
  • Resource Mobilization in Guinea-Bissau!

    Resource Mobilization in Guinea-Bissau!

    31 October 2013

    This critical question was the main topic of the World Customs Organization (WCO)’s national support mission to Guinea-Bissau that took place from 30th of September to the 04th of October 2013.

    read more
  • Group’s photo of the participants to the WCO Trainer Accreditation Workshop organized in collaboration with Netherlands Customs from 21 to 31 October 2013 in the framework of the Programme Global Shield

    Newly accredited trainers provide a great boost to Programme Global Shield

    31 October 2013

    As part of its efforts to counter the illicit diversion and trafficking of precursor chemicals used by terrorists and other criminal organizations to manufacture explosive devices, the WCO conducted a Trainer Accreditation Workshop in collaboration with Netherlands Customs from 21 to 31 October 2013.

    read more
  • Regional workshop in Lomé, Togo

    Regional workshop on Human Resource Management in Lome, Togo

    31 October 2013

    In the framework of the West African Customs Administrations Modernization (WACAM) project, funded by the Swedish government, the World Customs Organization (WCO) delivered a regional workshop in the fields of staff planning, job descriptions and competency framework in Lomé (Togo) from the 23rd to the 27th of September 2013.

    read more
  • Secretary General, Kunio Mikuriya, with the Belgian Minister of Finance, Koen Geens, during his visit to the WCO Headquarters on 29 October 2013

    Belgian Minister of Finance visits WCO Headquarters

    29 October 2013

    On 29 October 2013, Belgian Minister of Finance Koen Geens visited WCO Headquarters, accompanied by the Director General of Belgian Customs, Noël Colpin.

    read more
  • Secretary General Mikuriya with the Prime Minister of the Republic of Lithuania, Mr. Algirdas Butkevicius, on 25 October, in Vilnius

    Secretary General meets with the Prime Minister of Lithuania

    25 October 2013

    The Secretary General, Mr. Kunio Mikuriya, held discussions with the Prime Minister of the Republic of Lithuania, Mr. Algirdas Butkevicius, on Friday 25 October in Vilnius.

    read more
  • Secretary General Mikuriya on a group’s photo at the High level Seminar in Druskininkai, Lithuania on 24 and 25 October 2013

    Customs 2013 High Level Seminar on Customs Cooperation at the Eastern Border

    24 October 2013

    Secretary General Kunio Mikuriya attended the Customs 2013 High-Level Seminar on Customs Cooperation at the Eastern Border held in Druskininkai, Lithuania on 24 and 25 October 2013. The Seminar was organized by the European Commission under the auspices of the Customs 2013 programme in cooperation with the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Lithuania represented by Mr. Antanas Sipavicus, Director General of Customs. Lithuania currently holds the Presidency of the European Union.

    read more
  • 4th meeting of the WCA contact points-Bissau Oct 2013

    23 October 2013

    From 23 to 25 October 2013, the contact points of 16 Customs administrations, the Vice Chair, the Regional Office for Capacity Building (ROCB ), the Regional Training Centers (RTC), the Regional Intelligence Liaison Offices (RILOs) and the Regional Development Manager of the WCO Secretariat of the West and Central Africa region met for their fourth meeting in Bissau, capital of Guinea-Bissau.

    read more
  • The WCO Secretary General, Kunio Mikuriya, with the Director-General of the European Union (EU) Joint Research Centre (JRC), Dominique Ristori, on Monday 21 October, 2013

    WCO Secretary General meets the Director-General of the Joint Research Centre

    21 October 2013

    A meeting took place on the morning of Wednesday 21 October 2013 between the WCO Secretary General, Mr. Kunio Mikuriya, and the Director-General of the European Union (EU) Joint Research Centre (JRC), Mr. Dominique Ristori, to discuss possibilities of collaboration between the WCO and the JRC on common themes such as container monitoring, risk analysis and the fight against counterfeiting.

    read more
  • Harmonized System Workshop for Chemists opens at the WCO

    Harmonized System Workshop for Chemists opens at the WCO

    21 October 2013

    A new Customs Laboratory Programme was launched on 21 October 2013 at WCO Headquarters in Brussels, under the sponsorship of Japan (CCF/JAPAN).  Six experienced Customs chemists from Costa Rica, India, Indonesia, Mongolia, Thailand and Turkey were invited to take part in the programme. During the opening ceremony, WCO Secretary General, Kunio Mikuriya, expressed his appreciation of the contribution that Customs laboratories are making to the overall effort of the international community to secure and facilitate trade and stressed that the Harmonized System (HS) continues to be celebrated as a core WCO instrument for harmonizing international commerce.

    read more
  • Steven Broad, TRAFFIC's Executive Director (left) and Kunio Mikuriya, Secretary General of the World Customs Organization signing the MOU between the two organizations © WCO

    WCO and TRAFFIC sign MOU to build the enforcement capabilities of Customs frontline officers in the fight against illicit trafficking in wild fauna and flora

    21 October 2013

    The Secretary General of the World Customs Organization (WCO), Kunio Mikuriya, and Steven Broad, Executive Director of TRAFFIC, today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the organizations at WCO Headquarters.

    read more
  • Participants at the 10th ASEM Meeting pose for a group photo

    10th ASEM Customs Directors General/Commissioners Meeting

    21 October 2013

    The WCO Secretary General, Mr. Kunio Mikuriya, attended the 10th ASEM Customs Directors General/Commissioners Meeting held in Vienna, Austria, on 17 and 18 October.


    read more
  • Secretary General Mikuriya with the Director General of the Department of Revenue & Customs of Bhutan, Mr. Choyzang Tashi

    Kuwait Customs committed to further reform and modernization

    16 October 2013

    Upon request of the Kuwait General Administration of Customs (KGAC), a WCO support mission to Kuwait was conducted from 28 September to 3 October 2013 to help the administration formulate its strategic plan and a related action plan.

    read more
  • Secretary General Mikuriya with the Director General of the Department of Revenue & Customs of Bhutan, Mr. Choyzang Tashi

    Southern African Customs Union prepares for launch of regional Preferred Trader scheme

    16 October 2013

    The Southern African Customs Union (SACU) consisting of Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa and Swaziland collaborates with the World Customs Organization (WCO) in a trade facilitation initiative funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida).

    read more
  • Secretary General Mikuriya with the Director General of the Department of Revenue & Customs of Bhutan, Mr. Choyzang Tashi

    The Secretary General visits Netherlands Customs

    15 October 2013

    On Monday 14 October 2013, the Secretary General of the WCO, Mr. Kunio Mikuriya, paid a visit to senior management at Netherlands Customs and Indirect Taxation. He met with Ms. Angelique Berg, Director General, Ms. Aly van Berckel, General Manager of Customs in The Netherlands, Mr. Hans van Bodegraven, Director of Legislation and senior members of the Customs management team.

    read more
  • Secretary General Mikuriya with the Director General of the Department of Revenue & Customs of Bhutan, Mr. Choyzang Tashi

    6th meeting of the regional structures of the WCO Europe Region held in Kazakhstan

    15 October 2013

    On 2-4 October 2013 representatives of the Europe Regional Office for Capacity Building (ROCB) and Regional Training Centres (RTCs) met in Kazakhstan at the invitation of the Kazakh Customs Administration and the RTC Astana.

    read more
  • National origin seminar in Armenia

    National origin seminar in Armenia

    14 October 2013

    Within the framework of the Capacity Building Programme, the WCO and the Armenian State Revenue Committee jointly conducted a National Seminar on Rules of Origin in Yerevan from 14 to 18 October 2013, attended by Customs officers from several departments.

    read more
  • Secretary General Mikuriya with the Director General of the Department of Revenue & Customs of Bhutan, Mr. Choyzang Tashi

    WCO visit to Bhutan in support of Customs modernization

    11 October 2013

    The World Customs Organization (WCO) welcomes the Declaration released on 8 October 2013 by APEC Leaders and the Joint Ministerial Statement released on 5 October 2013 by APEC Ministers in Bali, Indonesia, under the theme "Resilient Asia Pacific, Engine of Global Growth".

    read more
  • Secretary General Mikuriya with the Director General of the Department of Revenue & Customs of Bhutan, Mr. Choyzang Tashi

    WCO visit to Bhutan in support of Customs modernization

    11 October 2013

    At the invitation of the Chair of the Indian Central Board of Excise and Customs, Ms. Praveen Mahajan, Secretary General Kunio Mikuriya visited Kolkata, India on 9 and 10 October 2013 to discuss transit and other matters of mutual interest.

    read more
  • Secretary General Mikuriya with the Director General of the Department of Revenue & Customs of Bhutan, Mr. Choyzang Tashi

    WCO visit to Bhutan in support of Customs modernization

    10 October 2013

    At the invitation of Juan Ricardo Ortega, Director General of the Colombian Tax and Customs Authority (DIAN), and Gonzalo Covarrubias, Head of the RILO South America, WCO Deputy Secretary General Sergio Mujica attended the opening of the XIth Annual Meeting of National Contact Points held in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, on 2 October 2013.

    read more
  • Secretary General Mikuriya with the Director General of the Department of Revenue & Customs of Bhutan, Mr. Choyzang Tashi

    WCO visit to Bhutan in support of Customs modernization

    10 October 2013

    At the invitation of Mr. Miguel Espinoza, Executive President of the Colombian Federation of Logistics Operators in International Trade (FITAC), WCO Deputy Secretary General Sergio Mujica attended the XVth International Congress of FITAC held in Bogota on 3 and 4 October 2013, to discuss the impact of logistics and Customs on global competitiveness.

    read more
  • Secretary General Mikuriya with the Director General of the Department of Revenue & Customs of Bhutan, Mr. Choyzang Tashi

    WCO visit to Bhutan in support of Customs modernization

    09 October 2013

    At the invitation of the Director of the Department of Revenue & Customs, Ministry of Finance of Bhutan, Mr. Choyzang Tashi, the Secretary General, Mr. Kunio Mikuriya, visited Thimphu and Paro from 7 to 9 October 2013. He met Bhutan’s Prime Minister and other political, government and business leaders in support of Customs modernization.

    read more
  • Cross-border security

    WCO Secretary General calls for Vigilance on Cross-Border Security

    04 October 2013

    Recent incidents of terrorism and other mass violence against civilians have shocked and saddened the global community. Governments, international institutions such as the World Customs Organization (WCO), and other stakeholders are committed to implementing controls and safeguards to protect borders and the supply chain in order to deter misuse for illegal activity.

    read more
  • WCO Secretary General Kunio Mikuriya with Isabelle Arvers, Exhibition Curator, as well as with Cédric Parizot, political anthropologist for the Mediterranean Institute of Advanced Research (IMéRA), at the opening of the “antiAtlas of Borders” International Research Conference and Art-Science Exhibition, on 30 September 2013

    WCO Secretary General opens “antiAtlas of Borders” International Research Conference and Exhibition

    03 October 2013

    The WCO Secretary General and the WCO Research Unit participated in the “antiAtlas of Borders” International Research Conference and Art-Science Exhibition held in Aix-en-Provence (France) from 30 September to 2 October 2013.

    read more
  • WCO Secretary General Mikuriya accompanied by the Fellows and the two programme facilitators: Ms. Khathutshelo Tshikosi from the South African Revenue Service, on his left, and Mr. Rob Jansen from the WCO, second on his right, same row.

    Opening of the WCO’s 61st Fellowship Programme

    01 October 2013

    This Programme forms part of the work to develop the management capacities of Member administrations in support of Phase II of the Columbus Programme.

    read more
  • Argentinian Customs Destroys More Than 2,375,000 Packets of Illegal Cigarettes

    Argentinian Customs destroys more than 2,375,000 packets of illegal cigarettes

    01 October 2013

    The Argentinian Customs Service has destroyed cigarettes from a number of seizures carried out around the country as a result of irregularities including, in particular, smuggling, unlawful possession and counterfeiting. The value of the seized goods is around 20 million Argentine pesos, or US$3,650,000.

    read more
  • Meeting between the Secretary General of the WCO, Mr. Kunio Mikuriya, and the Executive Secretary General of the European External Action Service (EEAS), Mr. Pierre Vimont, to define future areas of cooperation between the two Organizations

    The WCO and the EEAS define future areas of cooperation

    01 October 2013

    On 27 September 2013, the Secretary General of the WCO, Mr. Kunio Mikuriya, met the Executive Secretary General of the European External Action Service (EEAS), Mr. Pierre Vimont, who is also deputy to Mrs. Catherine Ashton, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission.

    read more