The World Customs Organization (WCO) and the Universal Postal Union (UPU) jointly held the 44th Meeting of the WCO-UPU Contact Committee in Brussels, Belgium from 19 to 20 November 2024. This year, the Committee continued its work in the 2022-2025 cycle with members and observers from both organizations. The meeting was hosted by the WCO in a hybrid format, with the registered participation of experts from 71 Customs administrations, 29 Designated Postal Operators and four international organizations.
In his opening remarks, Pranab Kumar Das, WCO Director of the Compliance and Facilitation Directorate, extended a warm welcome to all members and observers attending the meeting. The Director highlighted key issues of common interest related to postal traffic and called for further collaboration through the sharing of experience and the leveraging of collective knowledge throughout the meeting. The UPU Secretariat emphasized the importance of close cooperation between Customs and Posts in addressing Electronic Advance Data (EAD) requirements and streamlining Customs processes within the postal supply chain.
The Committee was briefed on the Regional Post-Customs Strategy Meeting for the Latin America Region, held in Oranjestad, Aruba on 22 and 23 August 2024. The regional meeting enhanced cooperation between Customs and Posts at the strategic, policy and operational levels, by sharing best practices necessary for the development of policies, regulations and associated project plans related to EAD, e-commerce, and their implementation.
Experts from Customs administrations, Designated Postal Operators, and partner international organizations provided guidance on addressing common challenges and identifying potential solutions in the following areas of common interest: capacity-building workshops; EAD requirements; securing cross-border e-commerce and trade facilitation; and the strengthening of security and safety measures to combat the illicit movement of goods on the postal supply chain, including drug smuggling, wildlife trafficking, and IPR infringements.
Given the mutual understanding of the value and necessity of facilitating EAD exchange between Customs and Posts and improving data quality and compliance with Customs declarations, the Committee endorsed the new guidelines on the exchange of EAD and data quality. The new guidelines will be submitted to the competent bodies of each organization for adoption.
The 45th Meeting of the WCO-UPU Contact Committee is scheduled to take place in the fall of 2025.