At the invitation of the Executive President of Bolivian Customs, Ms. Marlene Ardaya, and the Mexican Revenue Service, WCO Deputy Secretary General Sergio Mujica attended the XXXVIIth Meeting of the Multilateral Agreement on Mutual Assistance for Directors General of Customs of Latin America, Spain and Portugal (COMALEP), held in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, from 20 to 22 April 2016.

The opening ceremony was chaired by Ms. Ardaya and included opening remarks from Ms. Isabel Clavijo, Secretary of COMALEP and Head of International Affairs in Mexico Customs, as well as from the WCO Deputy Secretary General. The speakers highlighted the key role of COMALEP to support trade facilitation and protection of society. They also referred to the significant contribution of Spain and Portugal in maintaining the links between Latin America and Europe.

The first day of the Meeting was held jointly with the Conference of Directors General of Customs from the Americas and Caribbean Region and was also attended by representatives from private sector organizations in the Region. The meeting focused on Coordinated Border Management, both at national and international levels, including the establishment of Single Window as a tool to improve efficiency at the border and facilitate legitimate trade.

On the second and third days of the COMALEP meeting, several panel sessions were held covering subjects of key topical importance, such as the practical experience of COMALEP Members in the implementation of the TFA; e-commerce; Customs cooperation; information exchange; and risk management. Deputy Secretary General Mujica presented the main actions carried out by the WCO in relation to COMALEP Members, including career development opportunities, capacity building activities and use of the WCO Customs Enforcement Network (CEN).