A multitude of document types from all over the world may be presented to you at any time, in any offi ce. Is this a genuine document? What are the most important security features and technical … specifi cations? Obtaining accurate information on security features and their validity, as well as easy access to updated information wherever you are, is key to verifying the authenticity of such documents.

WWF is the world’s leading independent environmental organization and a truly global network, working in more than 90 countries. It is a challenging, constructive, science-based organization … that addresses issues from the survival of species and habitats to climate change, sustainable business and environmental education. Being a charity dependent upon its fi ve million supporters worldwide, 90% of the WWF’s income derives from voluntary sources such as individuals and the business community.

While harmonization of origin rules remains a work in progress at the WTO, the WCO is continuing to assist its Members to enhance their understanding of the rules of origin, contained in various … free trade agreements.

Trade facilitation is sometimes mistakenly viewed as speeding up the clearance of goods regardless of revenue and other implications, thereby solely delivering benefi ts to the private sector. … Indeed, when the WTO Doha Development Round started, some observers wondered if trade facilitation might not be better described as trade effi cacy. Th is implies that the goal of the negotiations should include the achievement of the broad objectives of Customs controls, such as revenue collection, security and community protection in an effi cient manner, thereby facilitating legitimate trade.

The WCO’s Revised Kyoto Convention on the simplifi cation and harmonization of Customs procedures, which entered into force on 3 February 2006, now has 76 Contracting Parties. Widely regarded … as a blueprint for modern and efficient Customs procedures in the 21st Century, instruments of accession continue to be deposited with the Secretariat.

While WTO rules are intended to set out the high principles for trade facilitation such as simplifi cation, harmonization, transparency, partnership, cooperation and risk management, the WCO … provides the norms to ensure their implementation.

In 2010, Korea’s trade volume reached USD 891.6 billion – accounting for 89% of the nation’s GDP of approximately USD 1 trillion – making Korea the 9th largest trading country in the world. Given … the huge contribution of foreign trade to the country’s GDP which shows its high level of dependency on external trade, the Korea Customs Service (KCS) has stepped up its effort to make innovations to the trade logistics system for speedier and more facilitated international trade.

Implementing a single window (SW) environment is considered a major facilitation measure. To know more about how widely this concept is being implemented globally, the WCO undertook a survey … of its Members late last year.

The ASIA/PACIFIC region is experiencing rapid economic growth along with increased integration of global markets for goods, services and investment. In this environment, Customs is playing an … important role by facilitating the international movement of goods and people while safeguarding national and regional interests. To contribute more effectively to this economic growth, many Customs authorities in the Asia/Pacific region have been pushing themselves to reform and modernize their administrations. They are working both individually and collaboratively to make steady progress towards that goal and the WCO and the Asia/Pacifi c Regional Office for Capacity Building (ROCB A/P) have been assisting their efforts in a number of ways. Some good examples of regional efforts appear below.

Latin America today is one of the most engaged and forward thinking of regions. Since 2008, when the WCO first began to disseminate information on the SAFE Framework of Standard’s Authorized … Economic Operator (AEO) concept through workshops and presentations, the region has rapidly moved toward implementation of such programmes.

In february 2010 Cameroon Customs introduced a system of performance contracts signed between the Director General and a number of frontline services in the Port of Douala. The overall objective … of these performance contracts was to encourage Customs officers to adopt good professional practices and to guarantee the effective application of the measures and mechanisms adopted. Th is experiment continues the reform launched in 2007, the background to which demonstrates the importance of the involvement of a Director General and the Minister of Finance, and is supported by the WCO and the World Bank.

The speed of processing goods, people and conveyances at East Africa’s land borders is a test of the extent to which the principles underlying the Treaty Establishing the East African Community … (EAC) are being applied. Th ese principles include a commitment to the elimination of nontariff barriers in inter-regional trade, the simplifi cation and harmonization of trade documentation and procedures, 24-hour operations at border posts, and joint operations by Customs and other law enforcement agencies to promote border security. Given the robust provisions of the Treaty in regard to trade facilitation, it was possible to commence one-stop border post (OSBP) procedures at some borders on the basis of bilateral Memoranda of Understanding as enabling legislation had not been enacted. Th is situation is about to change with the expected enactment, by mid 2011, of the One Stop Border Posts Bill (2010) by the East African Legislative Assembly. This article will highlight the situation at two border posts in East Africa as a pointer to the direction in which Customs in East Africa is moving with regards to the processing of goods, people and conveyances at land borders.

On 20 May 2011, on the occasion of the Japan-Korea Customs Cooperation Meeting held in Tokyo, Atsuo Shibota, Director General of the Customs and Tariff Bureau in Japan, and Yoon Young-Sun, Commissioner … of the Korea Customs Service (KCS), signed a Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) relating to their Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) programmes. Upon signing the MRA, Director General Shibota and Commissioner Yoon reaffi rmed their view that the Arrangement should be implemented as soon as possible for the sake of further facilitating bilateral trade.

In april 2011 Customs officials in Thailand seized 1,800 monitor lizards near the Malaysian border. Global trade in these reptiles is banned as they are listed as endangered under the Convention … on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

As the state customs service of Ukraine (SCSU) celebrates its 20th anniversary in June 2011, it can look back with pride at what has been achieved over the years. Today Ukraine Customs manages … 28 Customs offi ces and 244 border control points, processes 349 million tonnes of freight and 23 million vehicles entering the country, and collects 86 billion hryvnas (almost 7.56 billion euro) or 35% of the total state budget.

Customs has had a presence in The Bahamas as early as 1729 when the first Collector of Customs was appointed. In 1854 an Act of Parliament established the Customs Department and the Treasury … Department as one department under a Receiver General. On 21 March 1914 the Customs Department was established as a stand-alone department and the position of Comptroller of Customs was officially created. After independence from the United Kingdom on 10 July 1973, Customs became known officially as The Bahamas Customs Department.