Meeting between the WCO and the ACP Group of States
Brussels, 4 February 2011
Report
WCO Secretary General, Kunio Mikuriya, was invited to address the Special Meeting of the Committee of Ambassadors on ACP-WCO Cooperation at ACP House in Brussels. The African, Caribbean and Pacific Group (ACP) were formed in 1975 and currently have 79 Member States.
Secretary General Mikuriya was introduced to the Committee of Ambassadors – currently chaired by H.E. Mr. Usman Alhaji Baraya, Ambassador of Nigeria – by the Secretary-General of the ACP, Dr. Mohamed Ibn Chambas who then invited him to make a presentation on the Organization’s different areas of competence and expertise.
During his briefing, Secretary General Mikuriya highlighted a number of key WCO priorities: the security and facilitation of trade including air cargo security, trade facilitation, the Customs in the 21st Century strategic vision, anti-counterfeiting and piracy initiatives and tools with an emphasis on the protection of consumers, the revenue package, capacity building, and the importance of knowledge as a catalyst for Customs excellence.
The presentation by the WCO was followed by a good exchange of views between Secretary General Mikuriya and the participants. Thereafter, the WCO and the ACP signed a MoU to enhance cooperation and consultation on matters of common interest between the two organizations.
The meeting underlined the important role Brussels-based Ambassadors play in linking the WCO and its Member Customs administrations in the ACP region, often supported by Customs attaches.
Click here to read the ACP Press Release.