WCO Europe Regional Heads of Customs Conference
Bergen (Norway), 18 to 19 May 2009
Report
From 18 -19 May 2009, the Europe Regional Heads of Customs Conference was held in Bergen (Norway). The Conference, which was hosted by the Norwegian Customs Administration, was attended by Kunio Mikuriya, the WCO Secretary General, and Martyn Dunne, the Chairperson of the WCO Council.
Following the comprehensive presentation by the Secretary General, the meeting discussed a number of important issues, including the global financial crisis, regional priorities for Customs in the 21st Century and the European region’s capacity building strategy.
Delegates of the largest WCO region welcomed the Secretary General’s messages and supported his calls to raise their engagement in the implementation of the building blocks identified in the Customs in the 21st Century (C21) policy document. They extensively discussed and agreed on a way forward in shaping the “Globally Networked Customs” concept (building block 1 of the C21 document), including the carrying-out of a feasibility study and a suggestion to establish a High Level Working Group.
The meeting also endorsed the establishment of an ROCB in Azerbaijan and two RTC’s in Kazakhstan and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) respectively to enhance WCO regional initiatives relating to capacity building.