The COLIBRI Project on monitoring and controlling general aviation, implemented by the World Customs Organization (WCO) and funded by the European Union, has achieved significant progress in Ghana.
On Monday 24 July 2023, the first National Steering Committee (SC) meeting was held in Accra, Ghana. This meeting was attended by high-level representatives from the Ghana Revenue Authority-Customs Division (GRA-CD), the Ministry of National Security, the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), the Ghana Police Service (GPS), the Ghana Air Force (GAF), and the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA).
The first National SC meeting was pivotal to agree on the way forward for the Project’s implementation at national level and furthermore, the COLIBRI project team, presented to partners the main components of Phase II, which commenced on 1st April 2023.
The signing of the Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) between the WCO and Ghana authorities was another fundamental milestone reached during the COLIBRI team’s visit to Ghana. The MoC establishes the framework for enhanced collaboration at both the national and international levels within the context of the COLIBRI project, framing the scope, objectives and means of collaboration, and outlining the importance of information sharing and of interagency and international cooperation.
The meeting was followed by a monitoring mission, essential to obtain a state-of-play of general aviation monitoring and controlling activities in Ghana, as well as to strengthen contacts with Ghana partner authorities. Another objective was to assess ways to optimize the utilization of WCO-provided tools, such as the Geoportal and CENcomm.
The COLIBRI team is pleased with the progress that has been witnessed in Ghana, gathering indications for the elaboration of a national plan of activities tailored to the actual needs of the country, and the team is committed to working with the authorities to ensure that the COLIBRI project is a success.
To find out more about the project, please contact: colibri@wcoomd.org