Before taking up his position as Secretary General of the World Customs Organization (WCO) on 1 January 2009, Kunio Mikuriya spent seven years as the Organization’s Deputy Secretary General. In this position he led efforts to coordinate the work of the WCO Secretariat with other international organizations such as the WTO, the World Bank, and the IMF, and with the private sector. Prior to joining the WCO, he worked for Japan’s Ministry of Finance for 25 years. During his career with the Ministry, Kunio Mikuriya occupied a variety of senior posts, which have given him broad experience in Customs, trade development, budget, and financial policies.
How Customs officers and the World Customs Organization in particular, are helping secure borders against illegal movement of people and goods
The World Customs Organization (WCO) is an intergovernmental organization exclusively focused on Customs matters. With its worldwide membership, the WCO is now recognized as the voice of the global Customs community. It is particularly noted for its work in areas covering the development of global standards, the simplification and harmonization of Customs procedures, trade supply chain security, the facilitation of international trade, the enhancement of Customs enforcement and compliance activities, anti-counterfeiting and piracy initiatives, public-private partnerships, integrity promotion and sustainable global Customs capacity building programs. ID People interviewed Kunio Mikuriya, Secretary Genera of the WCO to learn how the organization works to help secure borders against illegal movement of people and goods.
In terms of standards, the SAFE Framework was set up to address the security and facilitation of the international supply chain. What developments have since taken place in this regard, in particular surrounding collaboration with border and law enforcement agencies?
In June 2005 the WCO Council adopted the SAFE Framework of Standards to Secure and Facilitate Global Trade (SAFE Framework) that would act as a deterrent to international terrorism, secure revenue collections and promote trade facilitation worldwide. Since this historic occasion much has been done to encourage implementation of the SAFE Framework by WCO Members, including in 2007 the addition of a major section on the conditions and requirements for Customs and Authorized Economic Operators (AEOs). To further support implementation, various WCO bodies including the Private Sector Consultative Group (PSCG) have developed a number of supportive instruments and guidelines which have been compiled into a SAFE Package. As additional support material is developed, the SAFE Package will be updated and expanded.
The SAFE Framework is supported by two pillars of cooperation, namely Customs-to-Customs networking arrangements and Customs-business partnerships. It also encourages the establishment of cooperative arrangements between Customs and other border regulatory agencies.
But what we call Coordinated Border Management (CBM) today dates long before SAFE was created, with many existing WCO instruments being relevant to CBM including the Revised Kyoto Convention on the simplification and harmonization of Customs procedures that was adopted in 1999 and which addresses all the essential elements required to implement a CBM system. While acknowledging that national states have full sovereignty to determine the framework of rules, regulations and policies within their territory and that each national border control system will reflect different needs and concerns, the WCO is convinced that CBM is essential to the overall effective management of international supply chains.
SAFE initially focused on maritime security, however, following the incidents in which authorities intercepted concealed explosives shipped from Yemen in October 2010, security related to other modes of transport are being taken on board. Based on the WCO’s extensive experience in maritime security, many of the lessons learned are relevant to all other modes of transport (air, rail and road).
The WCO is therefore focusing on increased security for all these modes of transport pertaining to outbound, transit and inbound movements. Air cargo security, a priority issue, requires a partnership approach and the WCO is now working closer with ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) and IATA (International Air Transport Association) in seeking ways in which air cargo can be further secured from future threats by collectively examining whether existing international standards require re-alignment to better respond to air cargo threats. This review includes data requirements and consistency between the WCO’s AEO concept and ICAO’s Known Shipper/Regulated Agent programmes.
Of course we have to also think ahead and address the vulnerability of all transport modes beyond air cargo. We also have to think about how best to mobilize a combination of measures including enhanced risk management, strengthened cooperation, wider intelligence and information sharing, and supportive capacity building activities. It is important that we turn this challenge into an opportunity for all stakeholders to work together to ensure a more secure environment in which legitimate international trade can flourish and people can feel safer.
How important is collaboration in order to improve the organizational control of the flow of goods across borders, with particular reference to international counterfeiting and drug trafficking?
The Customs community acknowledged long ago that no state is an island. Cooperation, communication, coordination and collaboration are indispensable to Customs operations, whether the focus is on securing or facilitating trade. Regarding enforcement activities in particular, shared intelligence as well as increased cooperation at borders are essential. Indeed, given technological advances in global communications and transportation, the world of commerce is getting smaller. Criminals are not just shipping their wares to one country, they are organized, trading globally, and manufacturing illicit goods on an industrialized scale, making international cooperation among law enforcement agencies critical to stay one step ahead.
To facilitate cooperation, the WCO developed a communication tool – the Customs Enforcement Network (CEN) – that enables Customs officials worldwide to share exchange information and share intelligence 24/7. Communication is also paramount. For example, major ports around the world lack Customs manpower to search every container, but because officials share information about suspicious shipments, they are better placed to make more informed decisions about which shipments to check through a process of risk management. The WCO also relies on its network of Regional Intelligence Liaison Offices (RILOs), which work closely with regional Customs authorities, sharing information and knowledge on how to combat illicit trade while gathering regional fraud trends and seizure statistics.
In the global drive to combat illicit trade and the trafficking of counterfeit goods, how can Customs organizations take advantage of new technologies and what concrete solutions is the WCO putting forward to assist Customs officers in their efforts?
Counterfeiting in general, and fake medicines and other dangerous products in particular, pose problems for Customs officers even in terms of identifying them. In order to overcome these difficulties the WCO, acting as a prime mover, has taken advantage of the possibilities offered by new technologies to develop concrete solutions. IPM (Interface Public-Members) is our latest tool, designed to support the work of officials on the ground in the identification of counterfeits. This information and in-service training tool comprises an online database enabling right holders from all sectors to provide Customs with real-time data on their products, making it easier for officials to distinguish between ‘genuine’ and ‘fake’ goods and where necessary, contact right holders directly for further assistance. The WCO will continue its efforts to promote cooperation between all parties who have a stake in ensuring that illicit trade is combated effectively.
How is cooperation at a supra-national level with organizations such as the United Nations (UN), contributing to actions to protect both national economies and society from the adverse effects of illicit trade?
The WCO has many areas of common interest with international bodies, including the United Nations and its specialized agencies. We collaborate with the Counter-Terrorism Committee of the UN Security Council who is charged with assessing country compliance with binding Security Council Resolution 1373 – requiring all UN Member States to take steps to enhance border security. In this regard, since 2005, WCO officials have formed part of multi-disciplinary teams that undertake various country visits; the latest being a mission to Southern Africa at the beginning of February 2012 to monitor implementation of the UN Counter Terrorism Strategy.
Another important partnership is that between the WCO and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) which dates back to 1996. The most recent and ongoing common project is the UNODC-WCO Container Control Programme. It aims to assist governments by creating sustainable enforcement structures at seaports for the purpose of enhancing port surveillance in developing countries to minimize the risk of maritime containers being exploited and used for illicit drug trafficking, transnational organized crime and other forms of fraudulent activity, including the trade in counterfeits. The WCO is also working with the UNODC and other partners on setting up Joint Airport Interdiction Task Forces (JAITFs) within international airports in West Africa, Central Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, bringing together officials from different services specialized in combating smuggling in general and drug trafficking in particular, as a means of tackling illicit trade more effectively.
Excellent cooperation also exists between the WCO and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). Since 2001, the WCO has been a very active partner in the Green Customs Initiative, which is a series of collaborative activities by partner organizations, coordinated by the UNEP and aimed at raising awareness among Customs officials on trade-related Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs). The two organizations work closely to combat the illegal trade in Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) for example, with the support of WCO RILOs and UNEP regional offices.
I also recently met with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to further enhance relations between the WCO and the UN. Our discussions covered security, protection of the health and safety of citizens from illicit trade, such as narcotic drugs and fake medicines, trade facilitation as a basis for economic growth, sustainable development and environmental challenges, such as hazardous waste, inter-agency cooperation, and alignment of objectives for maximum impact. The daily interaction between the two organizations, including UN specialized agencies, enables the Customs community to align with the global agenda and strengthen connectivity.