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On 26 June 2009, during the WCO’s Council Sessions, Mr. Hiroshi Fujioka, the then Director General of Japan’s Customs and Tariff Bureau (CTB), and Mr. Jayson P. Ahern, Acting Commissioner of … US Customs Border Protection (CBP), signed a Mutual Recognition Arrangement concerning their Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) programmes, namely Japan’s AEO programme and the US’s Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT). Distinguished delegates from Member administrations and observer organizations, including Mr. Martyn Dunne, Chairperson of the Council, and Mr. Kunio Mikuriya, the WCO Secretary General, witnessed the ceremony.

The Jamaica Customs Department (JCD) plays a pivotal role in fulfilling the mission, vision and achieving the targets set by the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service. Customs is a principal … contributor to government coffers, collecting approximately 30% of national tax revenue annually.

Directors General of Customs representing the WCO’s 174 Members met in Brussels for the annual Council Sessions from 25 to 27 June 2009. The main issues addressed by the Council related to policy … matters, elections and appointments, and a wide range of topical Customs and trade matters.

Right now, governments, the business community and individuals are focused on improving their respective financial situations as a matter of absolute necessity during this current global economic … downturn. Trade is a key driver of economic performance, and implementing a coordinated border management strategy involving new levels of integration and collaboration between public and private sectors is widely seen as critical to bolster trade flows, while facilitating the achievement of national economic and societal goals.

As countries developed Customs forms, requirements, and automated systems overthe years,there waslittle coordination and consultation among them. As a result, there are thousands of data elements, … hundreds of different Customs forms, and as many different Customs systems as there are Customs administrations. This lack of coordination has created a confusing and confounding environment. These different requirements are rife with redundancy and duplication and are expensive to maintain and operate. Governments created this problem; governments can correctthissituation – by using the WCO Data Model.

The WCO has established a global database of preferential trade agreements and related rules of origin in accordance with the Action Plan to improve the understanding and application of preferential … rules of origin endorsed by the WCO Council in June 2007.

The Customs and Excise Department of Hong Kong, China (HKC)is a progressive and forward-looking customs organizationwhich contributesto the stability and prosperity of the community. We act with … confidence, serve with courtesy and strive for excellence.

In line with the Korean Government's drive for "Green Growth", the Korea Customs Service (KCS) developed its Green Customs vision and released its plan to combat illegal transactions of goods … detrimental to the environment in October 2008. This comprehensive longterm plan was produced by adjusting the recommendation on environmental protection adopted by the WCO Council in June 2008 to Korea’s circumstances.

It all started when the G7 deemed standardization and a reduction in the volume of data required for international trade operations essential for facilitating the movement of goods at borders, … the key elements undoubtedly being information and documentation.

Headquartered at the Vienna International Centre in Vienna, Austria, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) isthe world’s centre of cooperation in the nuclear field. Established in 1957 … as an independent, inter-governmental organization under United Nations auspices, IAEA membership currently stands at 146 States.

Customs administrations have worked diligently for more than two decades to increase voluntary compliance with Customs regulations, mainly by making it easier to obtain information aboutregulations. … Is this diligence paying off? Can more be done to enable voluntary compliance and, perhaps even more important, to facilitate trade?

The EastWest Institute partnered with Italy, 2009 Chair of the G-8, and the World Customs Organization to host the Sixth Worldwide Security Conference (WSC6) at WCO headquarters in Brusselsfrom … 18 to 19 February 2009 with the theme ‘From the Global War on Terror, to Common Security and Joint Action’.

At the 2009 WCO IT Conference and Exhibition which took place from 22 to 24 April 2009 in Marrakesh (Morocco), almost 600 delegates from Customs, other border regulatory agencies and the private … sector met to analyze the international trade single window concept and to consider the benefits associated with such a system.

Customs administrations play a vital role in environmental protection at borders. They ensure compliance with the provisions of Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) and national legislation, … are tasked with monitoring the trade in certain environmentally sensitive goods and endangered species, with identifying and detecting smuggling and other offences, and with helping to raise users’ awareness of this illicit trade.

Some people may ask why Customs has anything to do with environmental crime. They may also argue that it is all too late when a tiger skin is carried through the Customs. However, if Customs … does nothing, more wildlife will fall victim to illegal poaching or be taken away from their natural habitats.

Designated to answer several shortcomings that were highlighted by the dumping of hazardous waste from the vessel “Probo Koala” in Abidjan’s residential areas in August 2006, the two-year project … will be implemented by the Basel Convention Regional Center for French-speaking Countries in Africa, based in Senegal, and executed by the Ministry of Environment in Abidjan, in cooperation with the Basel Convention Secretariat.

The State Customs Service of Ukraine (SCSU) is a specially authorised central body of executive power in the area of Customs practice that was created in 1991 with the mission to direct, co-ordinate, … and control the activities of Customs authorities, specialised Customs institutions and organisations in implementing the laws of Ukraine on Customs practice.

These highly important, and historic Council sessions took place at WCO headquarters in Brussels from 26 to 28 June 2008. The main issues addressed related to policy matters, elections and appointments, … and a variety of other topics.

The use of advance technology to track the movement of cargo, and entry and exit of individuals is essential to the task of managing the movement of hundreds of millions of individuals, conveyances … and vehicles. The maritime container control system will be an essential building block of the “smart border” concept.

The National Directorate of Customs is an autonomous institution based on the principles of legality, good faith and transparency, and is charged with applying Customs legislation, facilitating … international trade, controlling goods traffic efficiently, preventing, suppressing and sanctioning illicit Customs activities, protecting society, and generating important resources for the State.