Brussels, 29 August 2014

His Excellency the Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia in Brussels has sent the Secretary General of the World Customs Organization (WCO) the instrument of accession of his country to the International Convention on the Simplification and Harmonization of Customs Procedures (Revised Kyoto Convention - RKC). This act is the culmination of an extensive process which has allowed Indonesia to carry out a comparative analysis of its legislation with the provisions of the RKC and to attain the level of compliance required to embark on implementing this international instrument.

Having entered into force on 3 February 2006, the RKC now has 95 Contracting Parties. Considered as forming the basis for effective, efficient and modern Customs procedures, it includes key elements such as the application of simplified Customs procedures in a predictable and transparent environment, the optimal use of information technology, the utilization of risk management, a strong partnership with trade and other stakeholders, and a readily accessible system of appeals.

The WCO welcomes the fact that the number of Contracting Parties to the RKC continues to grow, especially as this instrument is at the core of the WCO’s Economic Competitiveness Package (ECP) and is also crucial to implementation of the WTO Agreement on Trade Facilitation (TFA).

This accession demonstrates Indonesia’s commitment towards implementing Customs procedures adapted to the international trade environment in a context marked by the conclusion on 6 December 2013 in Bali (Indonesia) of the TFA.

The RKC will enter into force for Indonesia on 22 November 2014.

The Secretary General, Mr. Kunio Mikuriya, strongly urges the other WCO Members to accede to the RKC as soon as possible.