On 26 January 2021, at the invitation of the Regional Vice-Chair for the Americas and the Caribbean, WCO Secretary General, Dr. Kunio Mikuriya, addressed a message of congratulations to the regional Customs Community on the occasion of the International Customs Day.

Dr. Mikuriya explained the WCO theme for 2021 “Customs bolstering Recovery, Renewal and Resilience for a sustainable supply chain,” and congratulated the Customs administrations in the region for their diligent and collaborative joint work to strengthen the global supply chain. He highlighted the use of technology in this process and the importance of putting people at the centre of the transformative process, as Customs moves towards reconstruction in a post-pandemic era.

The WCO Vice-Chair for the Americas and the Caribbean Region and Director General of Guatemala Customs, Mr. Werner Ovalle Ramirez, thanked the Secretariat and the region’s Customs administrations for their cooperation and efforts in facing the current challenges. A minute of silence was observed in memory of all the Customs officers who have lost their lives while protecting the borders.

The meeting also saw the interventions of the WCO Deputy Secretary General, all Directors of Customs present, as well as the participation of regional representatives of the WCO Private Sector Consultative Group (PSCG).