With sponsorship of the Japanese Customs Cooperation Fund, a WCO National Workshop on the implementation of the Customs Laboratory of Cambodia was held in the headquarters of the Cambodian General Department of Customs and Excise, in Phnom Penh, from 23 to 27 March 2015.

At the opening of the Workshop, the Deputy Director General of Cambodian Customs, Mr. Nuon Chanrith, highlighted the importance of a Customs Laboratory for the correct classification of certain commodities in the Harmonized System (HS), and thanked the representatives from the Japanese Customs Administration and from the WCO Secretariat's Tariff and Trade Affairs Directorate for facilitating the high level discussions on the implementation of the Customs Laboratory in Cambodia.

Also present at the opening ceremony, Mr. Tetsuya Akasaki, Special Officer for Coordination of International Affairs at the Central Customs Laboratory of Japan emphasized the importance of the Customs chemical analysis for achieving the three Customs missions, namely, to protect society and health, to ensure proper revenue collection and to facilitate trade.

The implementation of the Customs Laboratory of Cambodia is a part of the five years (2014-2018) strategic plan for the reform and modernization of the Cambodian Customs Administration.

During the Workshop, participants discussed relevant areas of analytical methodology and considered the possibilities for the implementation of Customs Laboratory in Cambodia. A wide range of topics related to the HS and Customs Laboratories were addressed and the participants were also thoroughly informed about several databases and documentation specifically designed for the day to day routine in a Customs Laboratory. Practical demonstrations of the use of a Customs Laboratory for the detection of drugs using test kits were also conducted during the Workshop.

The Workshop was closed by Ms. Yoko Odashima, advisor on Customs Policy and Administration from JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency). In her remarks she also referred to the importance of Customs Laboratories for the correct and uniform classification of commodities in the HS and in the national Customs tariff and for the well-functioning of the Cambodian Customs Administration. She concluded by emphasizing the importance of the cooperation and networking among Customs Laboratories.