On 8 February 2022, the Secretariat held a special session with the Private Sector Consultative Group (PSCG) on the future strategy of the Organization for the period 2022-2025. The session was presided over by the Chairperson of the PSCG, Mr. Jaime King from the International Federation of Customs Brokers Associations (IFCBA).

The WCO Deputy Secretary General, Mr. Ricardo Treviño Chapa, gave a presentation highlighting the main features of the draft WCO Strategic Plan 2022-2025. He underlined the fact that the strategy was based primarily on the Environmental Scan 2021, which had been developed following wide-ranging consultations already involving the PSCG back in 2020-2021 and taking account of the main risks facing the Organization as identified by the Audit Committee in 2020. He explained that the Strategic Plan 2022-2025 was intended to streamline further the WCO’s work with respect to a limited set of topics, actions and key performance indicators. The WCO would pursue its efforts to maintain the quality of its core functions while placing particular focus on crucial areas, such as technology and innovation, where there was a real need for enhancement. In parallel, the Strategic Plan would touch upon matters related to organizational improvements in order to safeguard the WCO’s structural stability and sustainability over time.

Members of the PSCG applauded the work done by the WCO on its strategy and welcomed the opportunity to be involved in its development. In particular, they stressed that the WCO strategy should focus on its role as coordinator for the implementation of the Organization’s standards and for the development of Customs-related initiatives by external stakeholders. They pointed to the uneven implementation of WCO instruments and underscored the need for mutual understanding to ensure consistent use of these instruments by Members. They also emphasized the importance of cooperating with other organizations to move towards the development of global instruments that would impact positively on trade flows and boost the efficiency of border operations. This was especially true for the use of automation and the definition of standards for information exchange. The PSCG took note of the organizational improvements and considered them a positive step in ensuring that the WCO kept pace with the rapidly changing global environment.

The Deputy Secretary General agreed that a substantial amount of work still had to be done on the use and implementation of WCO instruments, sharing his view that the Performance Measurement Mechanism would be a game changer in this regard. He explained that cooperation with other stakeholders was an important aspect of the Strategic Plan and was essentially put into practice through the continuous reviewing and upgrading of existing cooperation agreements. He acknowledged that the WCO had to respond appropriately to the changing environment, from a structural perspective, and pointed out that the Strategic Plan included a Modernization plan to that end. After thanking the PSCG for its contribution, he confirmed that consultations would continue in the coming months prior to presentation of the strategy to the Policy Commission and Council in June 2022.