The 237th/238th sessions of the Permanent Technical Committee (PTC) took place from 25 to 27 October 2022. The Meeting brought together a number of delegates from WCO Members, international organizations and the private sector to discuss, provide guidance and endorse issues on a wide range of topics.
In his opening remarks, the WCO Secretary General, Dr. Kunio Mikuriya, expressed his appreciation for having so many delegates in the meeting room for this first in-person only meeting after having tried different meeting formats since the PTC’s last in-person meeting in October 2019. The Secretary General elaborated on some of the outcomes of the 2022 WCO Technology Conference and Exhibition which was held in Maastricht, the Netherlands the previous week. He also highlighted a number of emerging topics that the PTC would cover in this three-day meeting. Dr. Mikuriya reminded delegates that, under the relevant agenda item, they will have the opportunity to discuss the outcomes of the WCO Green Customs Global Conference held in June. He noted other agenda items, including the role of Customs in fragile and conflict-affected situations, Global Customs Data Exchange Platform, E-Commerce, etc. He also highlighted the importance of Coordinated Border Management and referred to the agenda items related to cooperation with other international organizations and stakeholders, such as the World Bank, the Universal Postal Union and the International Association of Ports and Harbours (IAPH).
During the meeting, there were extensive deliberations on numerous topics. Regarding e-commerce, the PTC decided to amend the mechanism for the update and maintenance of the E-Commerce Package. The amended mechanism will no longer include annual reviews, but will focus on a 4-year periodic review process that will consider the entire Package, based on real-life implementation experiences of Members and stakeholders. The new mechanism will also provide the flexibility to fast-track amendments in situations that may require immediate action by the WCO and its Members to address emerging issues in the e-commerce environment. Furthermore, the WCO Guide to Stress Tests for Customs administrations was endorsed by the PTC. The meeting endorsed the list of WCO members of the WCO-UPU Contact Committee for 2022-2025 as well as the Revised PTC Work Programme 2022-2025.
Additional discussions noting the progress of work and providing guidance were held on: the current annual review of two annexes forming part of the E-Commerce Package; the proposed data set for the Global Customs Data Exchange Platform; the WCO Data Model's role in the harmonization of statistical data; the Guidelines on Cooperation between Customs and Port Authorities; the update of the Implementation Guidance for Section I of the Agreement on Trade Facilitation of the World Trade Organization (WTO TFA); and, the Time Release Study Online System Project
During his closing remarks, the Director of Compliance and Facilitation, Mr. Pranab Kumar Das, congratulated delegates for the successful completion of the meeting and also thanked Members who shared their national experiences with the PTC through their presentations adding that their inputs are instructive and beneficial to the PTC.
The next PTC meeting is scheduled for the week of 24 April 2023.