At the invitation of Mr. Rodolphe Gintz, Director General of French Customs, WCO Secretary General Kunio Mikuriya participated in the 20th Conference of Directors General of Customs of French-speaking countries held at the Ecole nationale des douanes de Tourcoing (National Customs School in Tourcoing), France, on 2 and 3 July 2018.
The Conference took up the topic of paperless processing, Single Window and Customs surveillance. During break-out sessions, participants discussed three questions pertaining to Customs training: how training in French could strengthen the links between administrations; how WCO e-learning could be improved; and whether a network of former Customs School students should be set up and, if so, how such a network should be hosted.
On the second day of the Conference, the report stemming from the break-out sessions suggested several ideas and encouraged relevant follow-up actions. Secretary General Mikuriya delivered a closing speech reflecting on a number of proposals, noting that in today’s globalized world, common cultural features and identity were of greater relevance and that a common language would enhance communication and cooperation. He therefore pledged to further support the use of French in the WCO.
The Conference participants appreciated the excellent organization and warm hospitality of French Customs and the Customs School in Tourcoing.