Welcome to the website of the WCO.

Please choose your preferred language

Current Location

You are here: World Customs Organization   Media   Newsroom   2016   September   WCO attends the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) General Assembly

WCO attends the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) General Assembly

At the invitation of Dr. Zhang Xiaogang, ISO President, and Mr. Kevin McKinley, Acting ISO Secretary General, WCO Deputy Secretary General Sergio Mujica attended the 39th ISO General Assembly open session held in Beijing, China, on 14 September 2016. The open session was organized under the theme "Standards improve global connectivity" and was attended by 500 delegates from 163 ISO members, and more than 10 international and regional organizations, including the WCO.

The session was opened by Dr. Zhang Xiaogang, ISO President, who highlighted that international standards are the common language that allows all countries and their various stakeholders to work together. He also emphasized the importance of international standards as a key tool to support economic development, especially in developing countries.

In his opening remarks, Mr. Zhi Shuping, China Minister of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, also underlined the contribution of standardization to human development and referred to the current challenges faced by the global community in the area of standardization, including the need for a real "quality revolution", based on international cooperation and coordination.

In his speech, Deputy Secretary General Mujica described the key role of the WCO in achieving the highest degree of harmonization and standardization of Customs procedures, and presented the main WCO instruments and tools to facilitate secure and sustainable transportation, including the Revised Kyoto Convention, the SAFE Framework of Standards, the Transit Handbook and the Time Release Study.

The open session was closed by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, who stressed the importance of standards to support China in its recovery from sluggish economic growth. Premier Li also highlighted that China must "have the courage to enforce high standards" to help to upgrade the manufacturing sector, which he described as the backbone of the Chinese economy.

-------------------------

Photos:

1. The 39th ISO General Assembly open session was held in Beijing, China, on 14 September 2016, with the presence of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang;

2. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang during his key address.