Second Global Shield Seminar
Brussels, 2-4 April 2012
Report
Secretary General of the WCO, Kunio Mikuriya, opened the second Seminar on Programme Global Shield which took place from 2 to 4 April to officially launch the Programme as a long-term law enforcement initiative aimed at combating the illicit diversion and trafficking of high-risk precursor chemicals used to manufacture explosives.
Over 120 participants, representing 45 Members as well as delegates from international organizations and other law enforcement agencies, such as the police, attended the launch which was held as a result of the WCO Council’s decision in June 2011 to extend Project Global Shield into a long-term programme following the success of Project Global Shield.
In his opening address the Secretary General said that risks to the border have become more versatile over the years and as trade is a lifeline for the well-being of society and a huge contributor to economic prosperity, terrorists and international organized crime have recognized this and made the global trading system one of their targets, making it imperative for the Customs community to cooperate closely with its partners to mitigate threats against international trade.
The US Ambassador to the European Union, the Honourable William E. Kennard, followed up in his opening remarks by complimenting the WCO for taking the lead in Global Shield, in partnership with INTERPOL and the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC), to ensure that Customs administrations work together with the police, prosecutors and the private sector to disrupt the illicit diversion of precursor chemicals used to make improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
With “Connectivity†being the 2012 theme for the WCO in the year it celebrates its 60th anniversary, participants acknowledged that connectivity, including cooperation and the sharing of information and intelligence, is a key enabler for reaching their common goals, namely to secure cross-border movements of goods, means of transport and passengers, and to ensure a safer world for citizens around the world.