On 26 February 2020, the Minister of Trade and Industry of Ghana, Hon. Alan Kyerematen, accompanied by a delegation, was welcomed by the WCO Secretary General, Dr. Kunio Mikuriya at the WCO Headquarters.

During the visit, Dr. Mikuriya had a bilateral meeting with the minister and highlighted the vital role of Customs in international trade and its support to global value chains and the economic well-being of citizens. He concurred with the Minister of Trade and Industry on the need for stronger collaboration between Customs and Trade Ministries to facilitate cross-border transactions, and emphasized the importance of a whole-of-government approach.

Secretary General Mikuriya discussed the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement with Minister Kyerematen and stressed the need for implementing global standards in order to connect more effectively with other trading partners. He explained the WCO’s well-established cooperation with the African Union (AU) Commission and reaffirmed the WCO’s commitment to support the implementation of the AfCFTA.  

The Minister highlighted the progress with regards to the operational phase of the AfCFTA and expressed his optimism. He noted that the AfCFTA Agreement is complemented by the AU Action Plan for Boosting Intra-African Trade (BIAT). Minister Kyerematen seized the opportunity to acknowledge the important role of the WCO in global trade and requested the WCO Secretariat to cooperate closely with his Ministry to support both the newly established AfCFTA Secretariat in Accra, as well as the priority needs at national level.

Dr. Kunio Mikuriya and Minister Alan Kyerematen agreed to continue collaborating to leverage the WCO’s global expertise in standard setting and Customs capacity building for Africa.