The WCO has conducted two sub-regional workshops for the development of Risk Indicators for goods and substances regulated by the Montreal Protocol and Basel Convention Agreements to support Customs Administrations and National Environment Agencies in the EAC and SADC regions. The workshops were held consecutively from 23rd to 26th August 2022 in Kampala, Uganda; and from 29th August to 1st September 2022, in Lusaka, Zambia, under the auspices of the “Trade Facilitation and Customs Modernization Programme for Sustainable Development in Sub–Saharan Africa” (Sida-WCO TFCM Programme), with funding from the Government of Sweden.

The four-day events emphasized the important role of Customs administrations in fighting against the illicit transboundary movement of hazardous waste, illegal or unregulated trade of ozone-depleting substances and the significant contribution that Customs, alongside National Environmental Agencies, undertake to uphold the sustainability of the global environment. To that end, the workshop reaffirmed the importance of cooperation between Customs Administrations and National Environmental Authorities in jointly applying effective and efficient risk management methodology to enforce controls related to the exports, imports and transit of the goods and substances regulated by the two Multilateral Environmental Agreements. A team of experts from the WCO, along with participants from Customs and Environmental Agencies, held interactive work sessions and made presentations to identify the critical risk indicators based on risk criteria, including documentation, importer, exporter, transport route, goods and other elements associated with the cross-border movement and trade of goods and substances. Additionally, the workshops addressed solutions to the critical areas and issues affecting Customs and Environment agencies to efficiently implement controls for the aforementioned agreements.

A combined total of thirty-three (33) officials representing Customs administrations, alongside the respective National Environment Agencies from the EAC and SADC regions, have benefitted from the workshop by enhancing their requisite knowledge and skills on the subject matter and ultimately enabling them to develop a draft framework of risk indicators to enforce regulations under the Basel Convention and Montreal Protocol Agreements. The joint work has also strengthened the commitments between the Customs Administrations and National Environment Agencies to collaborate better at the level of border operations.

Based on a continued technical collaboration with the WCO Environment Programme, UNEP OzonAction, and the Basel Convention Secretariat, the Sida-WCO TFCM Programme will provide further technical assistance to Customs administrations in the SADC and EAC regions to address the trade-related issues that adversely affect the environment while implementing the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement.  

For more information on the Sida-WCO TFCM Programme, kindly contact: capacity.building@wcoomd.org.