World
Customs
Organization
The 10th COMSA Business Dialogue
25-26 March, 2015
Copyright ©2014 World Customs Organization.
Outline
The WCO
o
Introduction
Illicit trade
o key areas & challenges
WCO Instruments & Tools
o Partnership approach
Inter-agency Cooperation
o
o
Coordinated Border Management (CBM)
Potential opportunities
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Strategic Plan
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WCO focus on key areas of Illicit trade
REVENUE
SECURITY
HEALTH &
SAFETY AND
IPR
DRUGS
ENFORCEMENT
CEN & RM/Intelligence Programmes
WCO Illicit Trade Report 2013
- analysis of trends and patters in these five key risk areas
ENVIRONMENT
Common Challenges

Illicit trade and cross-border smuggling
Evasion of taxes and duties
Trade mispricing
Illicit financial flows
Money laundering
Informal Trade
Common goal of securing government revenues and
combating illicit activities and facilitating compliant
business!
Needs Whole Government Approach.
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Fostering Partnerships
 Customs – Customs
Customs – Business
Customs – other Government agencies
Bilateral, Plurilateral and Multilateral
Cooperation
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Customs – Customs Cooperation
WCO Instruments and Tools
 Nairobi Convention
o In force since May 1980 - 52 Contracting Parties
 Johannesburg Convention (not in force)
o Adopted in 2003 - 3 Contracting Parties - not in force
 Revised Kyoto Convention
o In force since 2006 - 97 Contracting Parties
 SAFE Framework of Standards
o Adopted in 2005 – Letter of Intent by 168 Members
 Cyprus Declaration 2000
 Various WCO Recommendations
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Customs – Customs Cooperation
 Model Bilateral Agreement on Mutual Administrative
Assistance in Customs Matters
o Developed in 2004
o Extensively used by Members for bilateral agreements
 Globally Networked Customs (GNC)
o Set of Protocols, Guidelines and Standards for exchange of information
o Feasibility Study Report 2012
o Proof of Concept stage – 5 UBs (Including the Exchange of information project
between South Africa and Swaziland)
 Customs Enforcement Network (CEN)
o A system to share and disseminate information on Customs offences in a
timely, reliable and secure manner
o Over 1700 users from 145 countries
 National Customs Enforcement Network (nCEN)
o National nominal seizure database
o Pilots (Mauritius, Kenya) completed
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Customs - Business
 Customs – Business Partnership
o
o
SAFE AEO programmes
WCO Customs-Business Partnership Guidance
 Leveraging Trade Intelligence
 Data Quality
 Capacity Building
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Customs – Other Government Agencies
WCO Instruments & Tools:
 Coordinated Border Management
o WCO Coordinated Management Compendium
o A Whole Government Approach
 WCO theme for 2015 “Coordinated Border Management - An inclusive approach for connecting
stakeholders”.
 Pillar 3 in the SAFE 2015 edition
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CBM: Concepts & Applications
Shared
Information
Shared Resource
• Eliminates duplications in info requirements – each information only
needs to be submitted once
• Allows all personnel have the info they need to do their work effectively
• Reduces costs through sharing resources between different agencies – NII
equipment, inspection bays, offices, IT systems
• Co-location allows everyone to work “under one roof”, enhancing
communication and availability
Shared Work
• Agencies empowered to assist each other. E.g. customs empowered to
conduct checks on behalf of CBRAs, in a joint border post, customs from
either country can clear imports / exports
Shared
Responsibilities
• Common sense of purpose and vision among all agencies at the border.
• Facilitation coordinated between all agencies, controls determined
holistically
Cooperation in Action at International level
 UNODC-WCO Container Control Programme
o
o
aimed to improve their law enforcement capacity, thereby
preventing drug trafficking and other illegal activity, while also
facilitating legitimate trade.
the Port Control Units representing staff from different border
enforcement agencies
 Project Aircop
o
a joint UNODC-WCO-INTERPOL endeavor in combating against
trafficking of cocaine and other illegal drugs by air from South
America via West Africa to Europe.
 Programme Global Shield
o

aimed at combating illicit diversion and trafficking of explosive
precursor chemicals used to manufacture improvised explosive
devices.
Other Joint Operations/Projects: GRYPHON, Cocair,
Gapin, Crocodile, Westerlies,Cullimen, Demeter, Cobra, Short-Circuit
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Eastern and South Africa
- Regional perspective in illicit trade
IPR infringements (all region)
Tobacco (Southern Africa)
Wildlife ( East Africa)
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WCO activities in the Region
 Wildlife illicit trade:
 The WCO operation under the framework of the Great Apes and Integrity project in
January/February 2011 (2 weeks)
 Aiming to raise awareness and build the enforcement and integrity capacity of some
customs administrations in the ESA in the implementation of the CITES Convention, in
particular the combating of illicit trafficking in great apes ( Chimpazes, Gorillas and
Baboons) and other protected species.
 Tobacco illicit trade:
 The WCO supporting countries in region in fighting tobacco Illicit trade with ‘Operation
GRYPHON’ (6 months starting in October 2013)
 Focused on the application of core Customs legislation, competencies across the entire
Customs control and clearance process including checks being conducted on duty free
outlets, free zones, stores, bonded warehouses and means of transport
 Counterfeit goods:
 The WCO recommended all ESA countries to comply with the TRIPS
agreement and provide a robust enabling IPR legislation
 The WCO has been supporting the ESA countries with various capacity
building missions to empower members in the fight of IPR infringements.
© World Customs Organization
CONTACTS
Christine F. Msemburi
Director
World Customs Organization
East & Southern Africa
Regional Office for Capacity Building,
Forodha House 3rd Floor
3 Upper Hill Close
P. O. Box 50581- 00200
NAIROB, KENYA.
Tel +254 20 27 37 444 / Fax +254 20 27 37 968
Email: christine.msemburi@wcoesarocb.org
rocb@wcoesarocb.org
www.wcoesarocb.org
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