The World Customs Organization (WCO) and The Southern African Customs Union (SACU) get closer together in their common efforts of contribution to economic and social development in the 5 SACU Member States, which are also WCO Members.
Brussels, 27 September 2010
The 1st Session of the WCO Capacity Building Committee provided an impressive setting with more than 300 delegates attending the signing ceremony of a Memorandum of Understanding between the World Customs Organisation - WCO - and The Southern African Customs Union - SACU. This Memorandum marks the official framework for a fruitful collaboration between the two Secretariats that has already since long existed on a strategic and operational level under the SACU-WCO Customs Development Programme, a common effort for deeper regional integration and a better trade climate through trade facilitation.
In her address to the audience Ms Tswelopele Moremi, Executive Secretary of The Southern African Customs Union – SACU said:
"SACU Member States recognized the critical role that Customs plays in regional integration and in the attainment of its new Vision and Mission which was adopted as part of the Centenary Celebration. SACU’s new Vision is to be “An economic community with equitable and sustainable development, dedicated to the welfare of its people for a common future. The signing of this Memorandum of Understanding between the World Customs Organization and The Southern African Customs Union is therefore a significant step in ensuring we benefit from international standards and the Customs expertise of the WCO as we embark on this journey. In an effort to ensure that SACU caters for the needs of a Customs Union in the 21st century and is aligned with current developments in international trade, SACU with the assistance of our partners, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency SIDA and the World Customs Organization has embarked on a comprehensive regional Customs Development Programme. The objective of this programme is to contribute to the development of a sustainable and improved economy in SACU with regard to trade, security and social protection through development of the Customs Authorities as fair and effective trade management partners. (...)It is my sincere belief that the international standards and Customs expertise provided by the WCO have a critical role in promoting not only regional and international trade but also regional integration and international economic prosperity and well being. In this regard, I want to congratulate the WCO on the initiative you have taken to establish this important Committee, which seeks to promote greater dialogue and exchanges in order to strengthen Customs capacity building plans nationally, regionally and internationally."
Ms Tswelopele Moremi, Executive Secretary of The Southern African Customs Union and Mr. Kunio Mikuriya, Secretary General of the World Customs Organization
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