On 29 June 2019, Gambia deposited its instrument of accession to the International Convention on the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System (Harmonized System) with the Secretary General of the World Customs Organization. The Instrument was then presented at the 133rd/134th Sessions of the Council, which welcomed Gambia as the 158th Contracting Party to the Harmonized System Convention.
The Gambia Revenue Authority is a beneficiary of the EU-WCO Programme for Harmonized System (HS) in Africa, which offers comprehensive assistance to Customs administrations, regional economic communities and other stakeholders on the African continent on various matters related to the implementation of the HS. The accession to the HS Convention by Gambia followed the mission that the Programme delivered to Gambia earlier in the year (http://www.wcoomd.org/en/media/newsroom/2019/april/gambia-gears-up-to-accede-to-the-harmonized-system-convention.aspx). The HS Convention will enter into force in the Gambia on 1 January 2021.