At the invitation of the Swedish Minister for Trade, Ms. Ewa Björling, WCO Secretary General Kunio Mikuriya visited Stockholm, Sweden on 22 and 23 May 2014.
Secretary General Mikuriya thanked the Minister for the support provided to the WCO, including the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) project for Customs modernization in Africa and the GAPIN project to combat wildlife crime. The mandate of the first five-year SIDA project expired in 2013; however, a second agreement, signed in February 2014, will ensure financial support for a multi-year project up until 2018.
Minister Björling spoke about the importance of the WCO's work and agreed that WCO instruments and tools should be leveraged for the purpose of implementing the WTO Agreement on Trade Facilitation (ATF). The Minister and Secretary General also spoke about the roll-out of an ATF-related training programme in Africa and the importance of harnessing the WCO’s technical expertise in the development of a curriculum.
Secretary General Mikuriya visited Swedish Customs to meet its Director General, Ms. Therese Mattsson, for discussions on matters of common interest. He also visited SIDA Headquarters and met the Head of the Director General’s office, Mr. Ulf Källstig, with whom he held in-depth discussions on the implementation of the WTO ATF, and more specifically the WCO’s role during the implementation stage and beyond.
In addition, he visited the Swedish National Board of Trade and met its Director General, Ms. Anna Stellinger, and her team to discuss ways in which Customs and trade could enhance cooperation, including capacity building initiatives for developing countries. The Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs organized a working lunch between major business representatives and Secretary General Mikuriya, hosted by its Deputy Director General, Department for international Trade Policy, Ms. Kajsa B. Olofsgård. Views were exchanged on Customs-business partnerships, including the contribution of the private sector to the successful implementation of the ATF and to the accuracy and quality of data.