On 7 November 2018, WCO Secretary General Kunio Mikuriya received the Instrument of accession of Georgia to the International Convention on the Simplification and Harmonization of Customs Procedures (Revised Kyoto Convention - RKC) from Her Excellency Ms. Natalie Sabanadze, Ambassador and Head of the Mission of Georgia to the European Union.
Accession to the RKC and implementation of its provisions will assist Georgia as it seeks to further develop its international trade and enhance economic competitiveness.
In this regard, it is recalled that the RKC is considered as forming the basis for effective, efficient and modern Customs procedures. The RKC is regarded by the entire international Customs community as a blueprint for modern Customs procedures in the 21st Century, which complements countries’ efforts towards the ratification and the implementation of the World Trade Organization Agreement on Trade Facilitation (TFA). With the accession of Georgia, the Convention now has 116 Contracting Parties.
In an international environment marked by a determination to implement the WTO TFA in an expeditious and harmonized manner, 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. Secretary General Mikuriya strongly encourages all WCOs Members, as well as non-Members, to accede to the RKC as soon as possible, given this instrument’s significance for Customs, and above all to implement its provisions.