Nearly three years after its launch and only a few weeks after the WHO declared an end to the COVID-19 global health emergency, the COVID-19 Project will officially wind up its activities on 30 June 2023. It is timely to look back at the work carried out during its programming period, recognizing the resilience and unity demonstrated by WCO Members in tackling one of the most challenging times of modern history.

This final edition of the COVID-19 newsletter celebrates the significant results achieved in the framework of the Project. Beneficiaries made important steps forward in reinforcing their ability to tackle unpredictable situations. By working at the national level, they aligned the legal framework applicable to the facilitation of relief goods and equipment to international standards, trained staff on a well-coordinated and effective response to disasters and strengthened their respective Administrations’ internal mechanisms by capitalizing on the lessons learnt from the pandemic and other disruptive events. Collectively, they reinforced cooperation at the regional level, shared their knowledge and experience and fostered a productive dialogue with stakeholders involved in emergency preparedness and humanitarian aid operations.

In addition to providing an overview of Members’ efforts in enhancing emergency response and recovery, the newsletter looks at the results achieved by the Secretariat in the Project’s three main areas of competence: the development of tools, the organization of capacity-building events and the provision of IT tools and equipment.  

Thanks to this summary of the support provided by the Project to WCO Members, readers will be better informed about the latest disaster relief best practices and the relevance of trade facilitation when dealing with operational readiness and assistance to communities and businesses affected by disasters.  

More information about the beneficiaries’ experience relevant to emergency preparedness will be provided during the Project’s online event “The COVID-19 Project’s Global Webinar” scheduled from 1 pm to 4 pm CET on 22 May 2023, to which all WCO Members are invited to join.

The newsletter is available here.

Other editions and additional information on the WCO COVID-19 Project are available here.