The World Customs Organization (WCO) in collaboration with the United Nations Environment Program (Ozone Action) and the Basel Convention Secretariat, has conducted virtual Workshops for the Eswatini Revenue Service (ERS) and the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) during February and March 2022 respectively, to raise awareness on the Basel Convention and the Montreal Protocol Agreements. A combined total of forty-four (44) participants representing Customs officers from ERS and ZRA and their counterparts from respective national environment agencies of Eswatini and Zambia, have been sensitized on the role of Customs in the control of transboundary movement of hazardous waste and substances that deplete the ozone layer.
The two workshops, were delivered under the auspices of the Sida–WCO Trade Facilitation and Customs Modernization (TFCM) Programme for Sustainable Development in Sub–Saharan Africa, with funding from the Government of Sweden. To that end, the contribution of Customs administrations to the fight against climate change and ensuring greater sustainability of the environment through effective implementation of Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs), such as the Basel Convention and the Montreal Protocol was emphasized during the workshops.
Working collaboratively with the secretariats of the MEAs and other international organizations, the Customs administrations and the national environment agencies; namely, Eswatini Environment Agency (EEA) and Zambia Environment Management Agency (ZEMA), conducted interactive discussions and presentations to address the critical areas and issues that affect Customs and Environment agencies to efficiently implement controls for the transboundary movement of hazardous waste, and ozone depleting substances regulated by the two agreements. This has enabled the Customs officials to become better aware of and knowledgeable in the policies, trends and enforcement controls related to the Basel Convention and Montreal Protocol, and also fostered the commitments between Customs Administrations and Environment national agencies, to collaborate better at the borders.
Based on continued technical collaboration with the WCO Environment Programme, UNEP–Ozone Action, and the Basel Convention Secretariat, the Sida-WCO TFCM Programme will be providing further technical assistance to Customs administrations in the SADC and EAC regions to address identified areas of needs and subsequent support to implement the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement. Similar activities are planned by the Programme for other beneficiary countries.
For more information on the Sida-WCO TFCM Programme, kindly contact: capacity.building@wcoomd.org