The Secretariat of the World Customs Organization (WCO) participated in a face-to-face mode in the 16th meeting of the High-Level Working Group (HLWG) of the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP) was held from 4 to 7 July 2023, in Maputo-Mozambique.
The meeting was chaired by the Director General of Mozambique Customs, Mr. Taurai Inácio Tsama. He stressed the importance of technical cooperation, as this would provide all member Customs of the forum with solid and modern tools to efficiently and effectively meet the challenges of international trade facilitation and control in the 21st century.
The opening ceremony also featured a speech by the Secretary General of the CPLP Conference of Directors General of Customs, who took stock of activities developed over the last three years, enabling representatives of administrations to present topics on their practices.
Eight of the nine CPLP countries were present: Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Portugal, São Tomé and Príncipe and Timor-Leste. These Members shared their experiences in several areas of Customs reform and modernization.
The WCO Secretariat briefed delegates on the WCO Guide to implementing AEO programs and validating AEO procedures, given the importance of this program for member countries of the community, and presented other WCO tools and instruments.
Participants also took the opportunity to visit and gain practical experience of operations at the Maputo International Port, which serves as a transit hub for the WCO ESA Region.
At the end of the meeting, participants were unanimous on the need for the implementation of WCO tools and instruments. These include the Revised Kyoto Convention, the Data Analysis Professional Handbook, the AEO Strategic Guide to Mutual Recognition, and the WCO Customs Risk Management Compendium. The plenary recommended to administrations greater disclosure, with the aim of facilitating, simplifying and ensuring security in the international supply chain.
For further information, please contact: capacity.building@wcoomd.org