On 17 November 2021, the Deputy Secretary General of the World Customs Organization (WCO), Mr. Ricardo Treviño Chapa, delivered remarks during the Coordinated Border Management Workshop for Mercosur countries organized by the Special Department of the Federal Revenue of Brazil (RFB) with the support of the World Bank.
He participated as one of the main speakers in the Opening Session, alongside Mr. Laerte Losacco Toporcov Junior, Master of Ceremonies - RFB, Mr. Fausto Vieira Coutinho, Director General of Brazilian Customs, Mr. Michel Arslanian Neto, Ambassador -Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Brazil and other high-level speakers, including the Directors General of Customs from Mercosur countries.
The aim of this event was to share experiences on the coordinated approaches used by border control agencies, both domestic and international, for the efficient control of international trade, travel, and transport flows and to evaluate the real advances obtained with the use of the integrated control mechanism in the Mercosur countries.
The Deputy Secretary General highlighted the leading role of Customs in Coordinated Border Management and explained that it had been one of the most prioritized issues for the WCO and the entire Customs community to actively promote partnerships with other cross-border regulatory agencies to expedite border processing.
He went on to say that the COVID-19 pandemic has shown the criticality of Coordinated Border Management for smooth clearance of goods, particularly for essential items and relief goods, to help minimize the overall impact of the outbreak on our economies and societies. In response to the pandemic, the WCO Secretariat devoted all necessary effort and resources to support its Members in dealing with the numerous challenges, including a clear message and guidance that Member Customs administrations are strongly encouraged to cooperate and coordinate with all relevant government agencies and supply chain stakeholders to ensure the integrity and continued facilitation of global supply chains.
The Deputy Secretary General also shared various WCO instruments and tools, which already embedded the Concept of Coordinated Border Management to support Member Customs administrations in performing their tasks more effectively and efficiently, such as the Revised Kyoto Convention, the Single Window Compendium, the SAFE Framework of Standards, and particularly the Coordinated Border Management Compendium that covers all of these instruments and tools, as well as other international standards and other practical information comprehensively.
The Deputy Secretary General concluded his remarks by stressing the importance of sharing information among all stakeholders and neighboring countries, noting the challenges faced and practical experiences of collaboration with Customs and other border agencies in the region. He emphasized that the WCO stands ready to support its Members with the implementation of Coordinated Border Management, with a view to improving cross-border trade in the post-pandemic phase.