Dialogue with Custom and business in Côte d'Ivoire

Abidjan, 29-30 May 2012

Report

At the invitation of the Director General of Cote d'Ivoire Customs, Issa Coulibaly, the WCO Secretary General, Kunio Mikuriya, visited Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire from 29-30 May 2012 to discuss the way forward for Customs reform following the return to peace in the country after the resolution of the political crisis.

The Secretary General spoke to a wide range of Customs managers at the Customs School about Customs in the 21st Century and the need for administrations to respond to Customs’ enlarged mission that now includes trade facilitation, border security and the protection of society, in addition to traditional revenue collection. The audience appreciated the fact that their reform programme was in line with the WCO’s global vision.

At the Customs-business dialogue organized at the Autonomous Port of Abidjan, the Secretary General spoke about the importance of Customs-business partnerships in jointly improving border procedures. In the presence of business participants he submitted the Declaration of Demand to the EU representative to facilitate and finalize EU funding of 900 000 euro for Customs reform in Côte d'Ivoire.

The Secretary General also visited the WCO Regional Office for Capacity Building (ROCB) for the West and Central Africa region, where he reviewed ways to enhance its activities. Côte d'Ivoire’s Director General of Customs confirmed his support for the ROCB as the host administration.

Finally, Secretary General Mikuriya met Prime Minister Jeannot Ahoussou-Kouadio to seek his political support for Customs reform in Côte d’Ivoire, in particular early accession to the Revised Kyoto Convention and the enhancement of the Customs School. The Prime Minister promised his full commitment to Customs modernization and the ROCB.