The WCO in collaboration with the United Nations Environment Program (Ozone Action) and the Basel Convention Secretariat, has conducted an awareness raising workshop for the Mozambique Tax Authority (AT) and officials from the Mozambique Ministry of Land and Environment (MTA), to sensitize their Customs departments on the Basel Convention and the Montreal Protocol. The workshop was held from 17th to 19th April in Maputo, Mozambique, under the auspices of the Trade Facilitation and Customs Modernization Programme for Sustainable Development in Sub–Saharan Africa (Sida-WCO TFCM Programme), with funding from the Government of Sweden.
The three-day event emphasized the important role of Customs administrations in fighting against climate change and contributing to the sustainability of the global environment. In that regard, the WCO’s role in cooperating with other global partners to ensure Customs administrations are effective in implementing Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) such as the Basel Convention on the control of transboundary movement of hazardous waste, and the Montreal Protocol on the control of substances that deplete the ozone layer, was highlighted with clear purpose. A team of experts from the WCO, UNEP and the Basel Convention Secretariat conducted interactive discussions and presentations on addressing the critical areas of work and cooperation for both Customs and Environment agencies to efficiently implement controls for the transboundary movement of hazardous waste, and ozone depleting substances regulated by the two agreements.
A combined total of twenty – eight (28) participants representing the Mozambique Tax Authority and the Ministry of Land and Environment, benefitted from the workshop by enhancing their knowledge and understanding of the policies, trends and enforcement controls related to the Basel Convention and Montreal Protocol. The interactions also fostered the commitment between the Mozambique Tax Authority and the Environment Ministry to collaborate better at the borders.
The Sida-WCO TFCM Programme is collaborating with the WCO Environment Programme and relevant international environment organizations to provide technical assistance for selected Customs administrations in the SADC and EAC regions to address the trade related issues that adversely affect the environment while implementing the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement.
For more information on the Sida-WCO TFCM Programme, kindly contact: capacity.building@wcoomd.org.