Monday 23 September proved to be a special day for both the WCO and the General Department of Customs and Excise of Cambodia (GDCE) with Cambodia’s National Customs School being inaugurated as the WCO’s 11th Regional Training Centre for the Asia/Pacific and the ABF/WCO Supply Chain Integrity (SCI) Project launching its first regional seminar shortly after.
During the regional seminar’s opening ceremony, keynote speakers from the WCO, GDCE, and the Australian Border Force, highlighted the importance of the SCI Project in building Customs resilience. Speakers noted that the international Customs community would be better positioned to combat transnational crime and the opaque nature of internal conspirators who seek to bypass Customs, border, and supply chain controls.
During the weeklong seminar, over 30 Customs participants from the Asia/Pacific, along with representatives from RILO Asia/Pacific, and the UNODC-WCO Passenger and Cargo Control Programme (PCCP), convened to discuss contemporary threats and vulnerabilities impacting on the integrity and security of international supply chains. Participants were introduced to newly developed guidance material related to self-assessing threats, risks and vulnerabilities that may adversely impact on the safety and security of Customs controlled supply chains. In addition, participants were provided with detailed insights into new and emerging areas of border risk and best practice approaches to manage and treat them.
In the spirit of engaging traditional and new partners with purpose – the WCO’s theme for 2024 – industry stakeholders from DHL Express Singapore and CMA CGM Asia/Pacific were invited to engage in multilateral discussions with A/P Members and offer insights into the issues and challenges impacting on their regional business operations. Both industry stakeholders welcomed the opportunity to forge closer and more deliberate relationships with the WCO Members of the A/P.
The A/P seminar, the first in a series under the Supply Chain Integrity Project, will see the delivery of targeted capacity building and direct industry engagement across areas and regions that are known to be adversely impacted by supply chain corruption and criminal infiltration.
On behalf of the WCO, the SCI Project wishes to express heartfelt thanks the General Department of Customs and Excise of Cambodia for being such graceful and generous hosts.
For more information about the SCI Project, please visit the WCO website or contact the SCI Project Team at project.sci@wcoomd.org.
** Photos courtesy of the General Department of Customs and Excise of Cambodia