WORLD CUSTOMS ORGANIZATION`S 2009 ANNUAL COUNCIL SESSIONS HELD IN BRUSSELS
Baku, July 3 (AZERTAC).World Customs Organization`s 2009 Annual Council Sessions took place on June 25-27 in Brussels bringing together Customs Directors General representing 174 WCO member states. Chairman of Azerbaijan State Customs Committee Aydin Aliyev attended the Sessions.
The event focused on the foundations for coordinated border management, accepting that the concept should be further developed in order to establish global best practice, in additon to strengthening cooperation and communication around this issue with other border regulatory agencies and stakeholders from the private sector.
With respect to the WCO ‘Customs in the 21st Century’ strategic policy, the Council agreed to the establishment of an Ad Hoc Group for steering a globally networked Customs (GNC) feasibility study. The Group has been mandated to provide leadership and guidance on how the Organization can develop GNC and related matters including the development of a prospectus on the feasibility of achieving GNC, and to make recommendations on capacity building for WCO Members concerning areas identified in the feasibility study.
Turning to the global financial crisis, the Council adopted a “Resolution on the WCO continuing response to the global economic downturn” which incorporates seven recommendations for Customs administrations as well as five WCO response actions.
To give effect to the importance of Customs capacity building and to ensure more involvement by WCO Members, Directors General of Customs established a Customs Capacity Building Committee as one of the Organization’s permanent working bodies. The Council also approved the Terms of Reference for the new WCO Counterfeiting and Piracy Group and clarified the Terms of Reference of the Enforcement Committee with reference to firearms and health and safety.
The event participants agreed to open WCO`s regional office for Europe in Baku.
On a lighter note, the photo competition which the WCO decided to hold this year with the theme “Customs in action” was won by Denmark.
During the last day of the Sessions, the Council elected Sergio Mujica Montes from Chile as the Organization`s Deputy Secretary General for a five-year term with effect from 1 January 2010.
On the sidelines of the Sessions, Aydin Aliyev and Head of Turkish Prime Ministry Undersecretariat of Customs Emin Zararsiz signed a protocol on cooperation in professional training of personnel.
Aydin Aliyev also met with WCO Secretary General Kunio Mikuriya, Vice-Chairperson of the Organization, Irish Customs Commissioner Josephine Feehily, Director of the Capacity Building Directorate Lars Karlsson and others to discuss a number of issues, including the opening of the regional office in Azerbaijan.
On June 29-30, Inter-Agency Forum on Coordinated Border Management was held in Brussels. The forum was designed to initiate discussions with agencies and business that cooperate with Customs both at the national and international level. Panel discussions focused on whether or not there is a need to change the way borders are currently managed and if so what are the alternatives and how can they be attained.
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