The World Customs Organization (WCO) announced on Friday (02.05.2025) that the Revised Kyoto Convention (RKC), a key agreement for the harmonization and simplification of international customs procedures, has reached 136 contracting parties, with the recent formal accession of the Republic of Seychelles, an island country located in the Indian Ocean.
During the 35th Meeting of the Management Committee of the Revised Kyoto Convention (RKC/MC), held in hybrid format on the daysApril 29 and 30, 2025The Seychelles accession ceremony to the Convention took place. On this occasion, His Excellency Kenneth Racombo, Ambassador of the Republic of Seychelles to Belgium, signed the Instrument of Accession, thus formalizing the country's accession to the agreement, according to the WCO.
According to WCO listing, our region of the Americas and the Caribbean currently has 10 Contracting States out of a total of 33 members. These countries are: Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Nicaragua, and the United States. This figure reflects significant representation in the region; however, it is important to note that the effective and uniform implementation of the Revised Kyoto Convention requires all WCO Member States to adopt and implement its provisions.
This is especially relevant considering that the Convention's central objective is the simplification and harmonization of customs procedures globally, in order to facilitate international trade and reduce both barriers and costs associated with foreign trade.
Proposals and technical advances
At the meeting of the body responsible for monitoring the implementation of the Convention, issues of technical importance were also discussed, such as the review of the draft Rules of Origin under the Specific Annex K and it was agreed to continue working during the intersessional period to advance the amendment to the convention. Also I know approved news national guidelines in terms of customs control and free zones, which will be included in the CKR guidelines.
proposals submitted, initiatives were discussed Japan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Kenya, which seek to strengthen risk management frameworks and improve the efficiency of customs control systems globally.
Finally, a presentation was made New draft international legal instrument on negotiable cargo documents (NCDs), sponsored by United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), which could transform procedures related to document management in international trade.
New Committee authorities
The WCO also reported on the re-election of Maria Vournou (Greece) as Chair of the Management Committee of the Revised Kyoto Convention and the election of Hao Wu (China) as Vice-Chair, events that marked the close of the committee's recent meeting. During the meeting, progress made under the 2022-2025 Work Programme was discussed, and the draft programme for the period 2025-2028 was presented.
- Aware that the Revised Kyoto Convention constitutes one of the flagship instruments of the World Customs Organization for the facilitation of international trade, we invite you to consult the updated list of Contracting Parties at the following official link: here
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