On 22 May 2013, Members of the WCO East and Southern Africa (ESA) Region attended a high-level Workshop on the Revised Kyoto Convention (RKC) and the Economic Competitiveness Package (ECP) in Mangochi, Malawi.

This Workshop, aimed at promoting the RKC and ECP, was opened by the Malawi Minister of Industry and Trade, The Hon Sosten Gwengwe, MP. The Minister emphasized the important role of Customs in international trade, especially given Malawi’s drive to attract foreign investment. Delegates were welcomed by WCO Secretary General Kunio Mikuriya, who outlined the policy underpinning the development of the RKC and the ECP. The Workshop, hosted by the Malawi Revenue Authority and funded by the Customs Co-operation Fund (CCF)/Japan, was chaired by the Vice-Chair of the ESA Region, Mr. James Lenaghan from the Mauritius Revenue Authority.

Following presentations that included national experiences of RKC accession and implementation of both the RKC and the ECP, delegates underlined the importance of political support for the RKC accession process and the need for capacity building in this area. They made a commitment to quality implementation of the RKC as it is an essential component of trade facilitation, and agreed to make continuous efforts to increase the number of Contracting Parties to the Convention. With regard to the ECP, delegates also identified several areas forming regional priorities, such as informal trade, transit, Authorized Economic Operator, coordinated border management, risk management and post-clearance audit.