The 45th Session of the Enforcement Committee (EC) of the World Customs Organization (WCO) was officially opened on 24 March by Mr. Ian Saunders, Secretary General, at the WCO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, for a five-day meeting.
With the registration of some 312 participants, the meeting brought together delegates from Member Customs Administrations and representatives from WCO Regional Intelligence Liaison Offices (RILOs), International Organizations and other Customs stakeholders.
In his opening address, the Secretary General reflected not only on the important role played by the EC over the years in shaping Customs enforcement worldwide, but also on the importance of collaboration, in line with this year's theme "Customs Delivering on its Commitment to Efficiency, Security and Prosperity". The Secretary General noted that “security threats are a global problem, bigger than anything that any one actor can take on successfully and sustainably. This is why Members must look beyond their respective borders to collaborate with one another and with other motivated stakeholders.”
Finally, the Secretary General emphasized the importance of building upon knowledge already gained, stating that “the experiences and lessons learned from our ongoing projects and initiatives are invaluable because they highlight what works and what we can do better. By turning these insights into actionable strategies, we can establish a solid foundation to strengthen our enforcement capacity while providing a clear framework for partners to follow.”
The Committee has always prioritized the development of comprehensive instruments, tools, guidance materials, and operational coordination activities. These efforts have ensured that Customs has the necessary resources to fulfill its responsibilities in the enforcement side.
Since its establishment in 1983, the EC is proud to have reached a significant milestone with its first team of women presiding its session, with Rebecca Jonassen from New Zealand as Chair and Sarah Joyce from Ireland as Vice-Chair.