At the invitation of Mr. Enrique Canon, Director General of Uruguay Customs and Vice Chair for the Americas and the Caribbean Region, the WCO Deputy Secretary General (DSG), Sergio Mujica, attended the launch of the Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) Programme in Montevideo, Uruguay on 18 and 19 March 2014. The Acting Minister of Finance of Uruguay, Mr. Jorge Polgar, and several government and international authorities participated in the launch ceremony.

Mr. Mujica also met with other members of the Customs management team, including the officials in charge of implementing the AEO Programme. Those officials discussed the latest developments related to the AEO Programme, the challenges they are facing and the opportunities offered by this Programme. The DSG additionally met with the staff of Uruguay Customs to present the WCO Strategic Plan and to discuss the various initiatives being implemented by Uruguay to continue its modernization process.

Mr. Mujica subsequently held meetings with leaders from Uruguay’s private sector to talk about the role of Customs in contributing to economic competitiveness and the relevance of Customs-Business Partnerships. In this regard, all the participants highlighted that, over the past few years, a very effective platform for constructive dialogue has been developed within Uruguay Customs.