This Tuesday (10.01.2023) it was reported that the Federal Administration of Public Revenues of the Argentine Republic (AFIP) and the World Customs Organization signed a Memorandum of Cooperation within the framework of the Colibrí Project, which aims to strengthen the alliance to ensure the transportation of goods and people in the General Aviation sector.
The document was signed - virtually - by the Head of Administration and Personnel of the WCO, Hans Pieters, representing the Secretary General of the Organization, Kunio Mikuriya, and by the Director General of Customs of Argentina (DGA), Guillermo Michel, representing AFIP.
The instrument outlines the scope, objectives and means of collaboration between the parties, and describes the importance of information exchange and inter-institutional and international cooperation, in order to achieve the objective of the WCO Strategic Plan: “Protecting Society” and in line with the role of Customs in achieving the Development Goals adopted by the United Nations in 2015, in particular SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions.
In his message, the Secretary General of the WCO, Kunio Mikuriya, stressed that “General Aviation is one of the most important and dynamic modes of transport worldwide, and its characteristics make it attractive for organized crime to perpetrate its illegal activities. The WCO Secretariat, the European Union (EU) and national law enforcement services and other competent authorities from 15 countries are working together to secure this mode of transport and better protect our societies.” He added: “I welcome this joint international effort and look forward to a future in which general aviation is controlled and monitored in the same way as commercial aviation.”
Meanwhile, Director General of the DGA. Guillermo Michel, He noted that "the increased use of General Aviation, and the need to strengthen international and inter-institutional cooperation to more effectively combat irregular activities at the national, regional and international levels, led the DGA/AFIP to join the COLIBRI Project. We are committed to using our resources and developing our capabilities to achieve our common goals.”
According to the OMA statement, “The DGA/AFIP has shown an exceptional degree of involvement in the Project.” The text states that “Together with the Gendarmerie, Airport Security Police, Naval Prefecture and various Directorates of the Ministry of Security, the Agency is actively working for the successful implementation of the Project activities in an effort to provide officials with the necessary skills to carry out effective controls and analyze trends and routes to ensure greater control of the use and activities of General Aviation.”
Regarding the COLIBRI Project, it is important to note that the initiative is implemented by the WCO Secretariat and funded by the European Union (EU). It is also part of the EU's Global Programme on Illicit Flows.
This Project supports 15 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean (Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay) and in West and Central Africa (Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Gambia, Ghana, Mali, Mauritania, Nigeria and Senegal), and involves 78 police services and authorities that supervise or regulate the general aviation sector.
This is a “unique initiative” as it provides national administrations with resources for the capacity development and a Geospatial Platform, which allows to address the challenges and threats posed by General Aviation. Namely: lack of knowledge of the problems related to General Aviation, lack of experience to carry out controls, and lack of data to give a clear picture of the threat in the regions covered by the Project. (WCO Press Release)
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