The Policy Commission of the World Customs Organization (WCO) held its 93rd session in Antigua Guatemala, a colonial city located in the central highlands of the country, from 2 to 4 December 2025, under the presidency of Werner Ovalle Ramírez, Superintendent of Tax Administration (SAT) of the host country.
This body, one of the WCO's most important governing bodies, meets twice a year (June and December) to guide the organization's strategic work. The Policy Commission (or General Policy Commission) is an auxiliary body of the WCO Council that acts as a "dynamic steering group." Its primary purpose is to address general policy issues related to the organization's activities. It is not the supreme decision-making body (that is the Council), but rather functions as a study and advisory body that reviews guidelines, practices, and procedures to ensure they align with the WCO's objectives.
Currently, the WCO comprises 187 customs administrations responsible for managing most international trade and protecting borders in increasingly complex contexts.
Unlike the Council, which includes all Members, the Policy Committee is a restricted body. It currently consists of 30 members, including:
- The President of the Council (who also chairs the Commission)
- The six regional Vice Presidents.
- Members elected by the Council based on equitable regional distribution.
- Key observers, such as the Chairs of the Finance Committee and the Audit Committee.
Although it is an advisory body, its recommendations carry significant weight. Decisions require a two-thirds majority of the members present and voting to constitute a quorum and approve recommendations, which are then usually ratified by the Council.
The session was opened by Superintendent Ovalle, who highlighted that holding the meeting in Guatemala (in December 2022 it met in Manama, Bahrain; in December 2023 in Venice Italy; and in December 2024 in Cape Town, South Africa) This reflects the international community's confidence in the country's modernization and institutional strengthening. He noted that hosting the event consolidates Guatemala's role as a regional leader in customs cooperation, technological innovation, and integrity.
In the last decade, with technical support from the WCO, Guatemala made progress in implementing the Mercator Programme, the WCO-SECO Programme, the Integrity Programme (ACIP), and joining the Revised Kyoto Convention, the installation of the Secretariat RILO Central America and the realization of Office Time Studies.
These achievements supported Guatemala's recent election as the representative of the Americas and Caribbean Region to the Policy Commission for 2025–2026, an honor that Ovalle described as a strategic responsibility to strengthen the WCO's political direction and develop customs capable of meeting complex global challenges.
During the inauguration, the WCO Secretary General Dr. Ian Saunders, Deputy Secretary General Ricardo Treviño and Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, head of Nigerian Customs and Chairman of the WCO Council, They thanked the SAT for organizing the session as well as for Guatemala's commitment to multilateralism and customs cooperation as pillars of economic and social development.
“This meeting provides us with an opportunity to exchange information and experiences, ensuring that the WCO’s actions respond to the needs of the international customs community,” he noted. Secretary-General Saunders“At the same time, members work daily to collect the right revenues, facilitate legitimate trade, and protect society from the risks present in global trade flows.”
During its closed-door working sessions, the Commission addressed key strategic issues and received reports from relevant programs and committees.
In a significant announcement, during this session of the WCO Policy Commission in Guatemala, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed to designate the Customs and Tax Institute (IAT) of SUNAT of Peru as a WCO Regional Training CentreThis designation will allow the CRF SUNAT-Peru to promote specialized training programs in electronic commerce, technologies applied to customs, leadership, integrity and environmental sustainability, consolidating itself as an academic and technical benchmark for customs administrations in the region.
At the conclusion of the session, the delegates gathered for a group photo and expressed their appreciation to the SAT for the excellent organization of the meeting in Guatemala.
The editorial team thanks SAT-G for providing press materials and Dr. Hector Juarez for his contributions on the importance of the WCO Policy Commission.
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