At the invitation of India’s Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), Dr. Kunio Mikuriya, WCO Secretary General, participated in the Global Conference on Cooperation in Enforcement Matters (GCCEM), hosted by the CBIC in New Delhi, India. The WCO was instrumental in developing the conference’s programme, highlighting its dedication to enhancing collaborative efforts in global customs enforcement.
The conference opened with a keynote address by H.E. Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of Finance of India. The Minister highlighted the urgent need to combat various forms of illicit trade by leveraging collective wisdom and collaborative efforts. Dr. Mikuriya drew upon the G20 India’s overarching theme of “One Planet, One Family, One Future“ and elaborated on how the Customs community could contribute to this vision by sharing knowledge, strengthen networking and prepare for the future generation. He talked about the evolving trade landscape, focusing on digitalization, data analytics, e-commerce, and underscored the need to strengthen inter-agency and cross-sectoral collaboration in data exchange and risk management.
Over the course of the three-day conference, the GCCEM addressed a broad spectrum of emerging risks, including narcotics trafficking, tobacco smuggling, wildlife trade, money laundering, and innovative methods employed in disrupting supply chains and exploiting e-commerce platforms. The discussions, reflecting the sub-theme “It takes a network to fight a network”, provided a valuable platform for participants from various regions to share knowledge and experience and engaged in networking.
In a series of high-level bilateral engagements, Dr. Mikuriya sought to reinforce and extend partnerships. Notably, in his meeting with Ms. Ivonne Higuero, CITES Secretary-General, there was a mutual commitment to further enhance cooperation in the framework of ICCWC (International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime). His dialogue with Mr. Sanjay Kumar Agarwal, Chairman of CBIC, covered a broad array of pressing issues. Dr. Mikuriya expressed gratitude for Mr. Agarwal’s support in enhancing the WCO CEN visualization and the Data and Statistics Working Group, and explored further avenues for continued and expanded cooperation.