Constructive engagement with the US Congress
Brussels, 9 May 2011
Report
Continuing the WCO policy on constructive engagement with the US Congress on the 100% scanning law, WCO Deputy Secretary General Sergio Mujica met staffers from the Senate, the House of Representatives and the Government Accountability Office in Washington DC during April 2011.
Congress staff on Capitol Hill were informed about the latest developments on the WCO SAFE initiative and risk management, as an alternative to the US 100% scanning approach. In all the meetings, the WCO’s constructive engagement policy was highly supported and appreciated.
Whilst in the US capital, the Deputy Secretary General took the opportunity to meet with officials from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to discuss supply chain security issues.
In addition, Deputy Secretary General Mujica participated in the IMF's Conference on Revenue Mobilization during which he chaired a panel on indirect tax and Customs modernization.
A series of other meetings focused on Customs capacity building assistance and support were held with various stakeholders including Customs administrations, donor agencies and other international and regional organizations.