The US Customs and Border Protection Office (CBP) announced on Saturday (25.06.2022/XNUMX/XNUMX) its intention to nominate the Deputy Assistant Secretary for the International Trade Administration of the Department of Commerce, Ian Saunders, to become the next Secretary General of the World Customs Organization (WCO).
As the US government's nominee for the top WCO post, Saunders will stand for election at the WCO Council meeting in June 2023. If elected by a majority of the 184 directors general of customs who make up the Council, Saunders would replace Kunio Mikuriya, current Secretary General to become the first American official to hold the post since 1999.
“Ian Saunders is a deeply respected member of the global customs community who represents the very best of American public service,” said CBP Commissioner Chris Magnus.
“Ian’s customs and trade experience, strategic thinking and diplomatic acumen make him uniquely suited to lead the WCO at this time of rapid global change,” he added.
A CBP statement said the nomination was made at an event in Brussels where Deputy Assistant Secretary Saunders pointed to “the WCO’s rich history of solving complex global customs challenges as his inspiration for taking on the role of Secretary General.”
Saunders said he intends to continue to accelerate the implementation of existing WCO tools, take advantage of new technologies, ensure good governance and further enhance customs capacity building efforts.
“The global customs community is at a critical moment. At no other time has the central role of customs in trade and our well-being been clearer,” said Saunders. He concluded: “As WCO Secretary-General, I will focus on the organization providing the intellectual leadership and tools to enable the global customs community to deliver a secure, prosperous and inclusive future.”
Ian Saunders
Ian Saunders has over 30 years of experience in customs and international trade. He began his career with the former U.S. Customs Service in 1991 and worked his way up to leadership positions in the Senior Executive Service.
While serving as Assistant Commissioner of CBP’s Office of International Affairs, he led multiple U.S. delegations to the WCO and chaired the organization’s influential Permanent Technical Committee from 2018 to 2020.
In his current role as Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Trade Administration at the U.S. Department of Commerce, he is responsible for developing programs, policies, and strategies to strengthen trade cooperation in the Western Hemisphere.
Saunders speaks Spanish and Portuguese, and holds a bachelor's and master's degree from Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service.CBP Statement)
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