From 6 to 8 December 2022, the World Customs Organization (WCO) organized an online National Workshop on Combatting Counterfeiting and Piracy for the Papua New Guinea (PNG) Customs Service, supported by the Customs Cooperation Fund of Japan (CCF Japan). More than 30 participants from the PNG Customs Service attended the Workshop.

In his opening remarks, Mr. Takahiro Matsuzaki, Deputy Director, Office of Technical Cooperation, Customs and Tariff Bureau, Ministry of Finance - Japan, welcomed participants to the virtual Workshop, emphasizing the importance of ensuring compliance with intellectual property rights (IPR) at borders and stating Japan’s clear commitment to supporting WCO activities in this area. Mr. Donny Kowuropa, Director - Office of the Chief Commissioner of Customs, PNG Customs Service, thanked both the WCO Secretariat and Japan, in its capacity as the donor, for organizing the Workshop. He went on to share his strong motivation for improving IPR enforcement measures by the PNG Customs Service, in order to stop even more counterfeit goods as the latter directly impacted public health and society in his country.

During the three-day online Workshop, participants were made aware of the challenges faced by PNG Customs and of the important role played by Customs in securing borders and safeguarding society, by preventing counterfeit and illicit items from entering their country.

The WCO Secretariat presented the Organization’s tools and instruments available to assist Customs officers with IPR border enforcement and designed to facilitate the detection of counterfeit, substandard and illicit items. Experts shared their knowledge and experience of risk management, cooperation with right holders and in-house training for Customs officers.

Capacity building on combatting intellectual property crime is critical with a view to stopping counterfeit products at borders, as such products have a negative impact on innovation, research and national economies as well as on the health and safety of consumers. This Workshop was one of the activities under the WCO IPR Strategy 2020. The Strategy, of which capacity building remains a key component, was approved by the WCO Enforcement Committee at its 41st Session.

For further information on WCO activities in the area of IPR protection, please get in touch with us at: IPRteam@wcoomd.org.