This Friday the countdown began: 10 days until the start of COMALEP 2023. Before going any further, let's remember what it is. When we refer to COMALEP, as in this 2023 edition, we are referring to the annual meeting of the members of the Multilateral Agreement on Cooperation and Mutual Assistance between the Customs of Latin America, Spain and Portugal. Currently, 21 countries are part of this agreement, and it serves as a meeting forum between customs services, international organizations and the private sector of the region.
The venue for this 2023 edition will be Dominican Republic, a country located in the Caribbean. The date? May 15-19 of this year. The location? Punta Cana.
The 10-day mark on the calendar indicates key issues regarding objectives and something equally important: understanding what their importance is.
The main objective of this meeting is to promote and develop cooperation and mutual assistance between customs administrations, with the aim of standardizing and simplifying customs procedures, as well as preventing, investigating and repressing customs crimes.
Considering this, we refer to a previous meeting. We recall that in 2022 the meeting of the national directors of Customs of Latin America, Spain and Portugal was held in HondurasThe focus was on the impacts and challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, which is why strategies were proposed to facilitate trade and ensure security in critical situations.
At the moment, it is expected that the COMALEP 2023 discuss innovative solutions to current challenges facing customs administrations in the region, such as strengthening human capital. And the International Association of Professional Customs Agents (ASAPRA) announced the submission of a document to the authorities of the World Customs Organization, “developed by internationally renowned professionals.” In the words of ASAPRA President Nelson Brens: “The entity will present an innovative Code of Ethics for Professional Customs Agents, the first to be available worldwide by a private sector customs organization.”
In short, the international private law, non-profit corporation, which was founded in Viña del Mar (Chile) in 1969, to integrate into a single entity the chambers, federations, associations and unions of Agents, Customs Brokers and/or Customs Agents of Latin America, Spain and Portugal, will provide the most recent guide to integrity development, which should not (or should not) go unnoticed by the Customs of the COMALEP countries, as it can be an advantageous contribution to developing a more competitive and more united region.
Of course in CUSTOMS NEWS We will continue to provide further details of the meeting in Punta Cana. Stay tuned.
Aduana News is the first Argentine customs newspaper to launch its digital version. With 20 years of experience, its publications and initiatives aim to provide the most relevant knowledge on customs issues in order to contribute to safe trade in the region.
