At the kind invitation of the Korea Customs Service (KCS), the Policy Commission held its 82nd Session in Seoul, Republic of Korea, from 3 to 5 December 2019 under the chairmanship of Mr. Dicksons Kateshumbwa, Director General of Uganda Customs.
The meeting was opened by the KCS Commissioner, Mr. Yungmoon Kim, who welcomed the delegates and emphasized the value of the work of the WCO for the Customs community and stressed more particularly the importance of the use of the latest technologies by Customs. The WCO Secretary General, Dr. Kunio Mikuriya, and the Council Chairperson, Mr. Kateshumbwa, also addressed the delegates and expressed their sincere appreciation to KCS for hosting the meeting.
During the three-day meeting, the Policy Commission discussed a wide range of subjects, including the strategic review of the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System (Harmonized System (HS)); Free Trade Zones; cruise ships; Customs-Financial Intelligence Units (FIU) cooperation; capacity building and the use of technology and data analytics; the 2020 Environmental Scan; and the WCO Communications Strategy.
The delegates also discussed progress made in the area of e-commerce, as well as gender equality and diversity, including potential actions to be implemented by the WCO in the near future. Furthermore, the WCO theme for 2020 was highlighted.
The Policy Commission also received progress reports on several ongoing programmes and initiatives, including the four WCO Packages - Economic Competitiveness, Compliance and Enforcement, Revenue, and Organizational Development. These topics will be followed up over the coming months and the Outcomes of the Policy Commission session will shortly be made available on the WCO Members’ Website.
The Policy Commission delegates expressed their gratitude to KCS officials for their warm hospitality and the excellent organization of the session.