International Maritime Organization (IMO)
The WCO actively participates in the IMO Facilitation Committee (FAL). The two organizations are examining possible amendments to IMO instruments to take into account the WCO Instruments and Tools, such as the WCO Data Model, the WCO Single Window Guidelines and the WCO Framework of Standards to Secure and Facilitate Global Trade (known as SAFE).
International Organization for Migration (IOM)
IOM is committed to the principle that humane and orderly migration benefits migrants and society.
As the leading international organization for migration, IOM acts with its partners in the international community to:
1. Assist in meeting the growing operational challenges of migration management.
2. Advance understanding of migration issues.
3. Encourage social and economic development through migration.
4. Uphold the human dignity and well-being of migrants.
International Trade Center (ITC)
The WCO established a working relationship with the ITC, whose main objective is to promote national developments through international trade emphasizing export and private sector. The ITC has organized symposiums which gather participants from legal, academic and business backgrounds.
By participating in these symposiums, the WCO promoted the Revised Kyoto Convention and other WCO instruments to the participants. The ITC has produced information which is available on its website through which the status of countries accession to key international trade-related treaties is visually grasped. The ITC has agreed to cover data relating to the Revised Kyoto Convention and other key WCO instruments in its Website.
Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
The WCO has cooperated with the OECD on several projects. The OECD continued its survey on costs of introducing and implementing trade facilitation measures in co-operation with the other intergovernmental organizations, such as, UN/ESCAP. The WCO has contributed to this work by helping conduct surveys in various Member Administrations and by participating in OECD meetings.
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)
As a result of co-operation between the WCO and OSCE, the OSCE Council, held in Vienna, Austria in July 2005, has drawn up a Decision in support of Framework of Standards to Secure and Facilitate Global Trade(known as SAFE).
The OSCE Council agreed to encourage their members, who are also Members of the WCO, to sign the Letter of Intent to implement SAFE if they have not already done so. OSCE have also offered to assist on capacity building initiatives related to SAFE.
The World Bank
The Secretariat successfully maintained and enhanced co-operation with the World Bank. The WCO made available useful WCO instruments to the World Bank for their promotion and increased use. The software for the WCO Time Release Study developed in co-operation with the World Bank has been made available to WCO Members and World Bank members free of charge.
Over 40 countries have received this software (as at 1 January 2006). The Secretariat provides assistance, in close co-operation with the World Bank and other stakeholders, to help the Members to conduct the WCO Time Release Study, including the use of this software. The Secretariat participates in the World Bank Customs modernization and reform projects and workshops on trade facilitation. The World Bank launched a project to assist countries to enhance participation in the WTO trade facilitation negotiations.
The purpose of this project is to present a wide range of options for establishing co-ordination mechanisms in a country, introduce effective communication and to support its trade facilitation negotiator in Geneva. The World Bank focuses its role on support for creating mechanisms and invites expert organizations, e.g., the WCO for Customs matters, to join its team to assist the country to explore the elements in examining the WTO proposals.
World Organization for Animal Health (OiE)
The OIE is the intergovernmental organisation responsible for improving animal health worldwide. It is recognised as a reference organisation by the World Trade Organization (WTO) and in 2018 has a total of 182 Member Countries. The OIE maintains permanent relations with nearly 75 other international and regional organisations and has Regional and sub-regional Offices on every continent. The WCO is working with OIE in the area of cross-border movement of animals, in particular with regard to Coordinated Border Management, data harmonisation and standardisation and Single Window.
World Trade Organisation (WTO)
The World Trade Organization (WTO) is the only global international organization dealing with the rules of trade between nations. At its heart are the WTO agreements, negotiated and signed by the bulk of the world’s trading nations and ratified in their parliaments. The goal is to ensure that trade flows as smoothly, predictably and freely as possible. WCO is collaborating with WTO iin the area of trade facilitation in in particular in supporting the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement.