As announced, the 18th and 19th of May 2023 was held XXV Regional Conference for Directors General of Customs for the Americas and the Caribbean (CRDGA). The event, held in Punta Cana (Dominican Republic), in a hybrid manner (in person and virtually), brought together the 33 administrations to strengthen cooperation ties.
This event marked the region's face-to-face reunion after 4 years, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, addressing transcendental issues under the motto “Promoting a culture of knowledge exchange and professionalism as a strategic axis of the modernization and strengthening of Customs.”
The meeting was opened by Eduardo Sanz Lovatón, Director General of Customs of the Dominican Republic; Kunio Mikuriya, Secretary General of the World Customs Organization (WCO), and Martha Garamendi Espinoza, Deputy National Superintendent of Customs (SUNAT) of Peru, in her capacity as Regional Vice President of the WCO for the Americas and the Caribbean.
From the speech of the Secretary General of the WCO on “The Future of Customs”, a wide range of topics were discussed at the Regional Conference: management of human capital, capacity building, inclusion and gender equality gender at customs, tools to increase collection efficiency, resilience and sustainability post-COVID and Green customs. Also customs modernization and new trends in foreign trade, technologies disruptive to control and facilitation. And something fundamental for joint action and the resolution of common problems: the cooperation between customs services.
Then, the regional entities of the Americas and the Caribbean provided a report on the progress of their work plans: the Regional Vice President of the WCO for the Americas and the Caribbean made the presentation “Progress in the Work Plan of the Regional Strategic Plan 2022-2024”. Accompanied Uruguay with the presentation of the progress of the “Regional Capacity Building Office”, Argentina He did so with the advances of the “Regional Canine Training Center”, Chile He referred to the “South American Regional Intelligence Liaison Office”, while Peru presented the capacity-building activities of the “Regional Customs Laboratory”.
How did the meeting continue? After a closed debate, the Directors General of Customs elected the Administration of an associated State to fill the vacant position in the WCO Political Commission representing the Americas and the Caribbean region.
One important fact to remember is that the WCO Political Commission is the governing group that examines the policies, practices and procedures of the International Organization, which meets twice a year, in June and December.
Anything else? Of course. Elections were also held to fill the vacant seats in the WCO Finance Committee representing the Americas and the Caribbean Region.
The proposed nominations will be officially confirmed by the WCO Council in June in accordance with the established procedure, according to the Regional Vice-Presidency.
Jamaica will be the headquarters of the CRDGA in 2024, said Administration presenting an invitation video.
This is the final detail of the customs week in Punta Cana. On this last point, it is important to keep in mind that these forums enable the customs of the States to coordinate their actions and cooperate with each other to facilitate the flow of goods through legal and transparent channels, where all parties benefit, both from the regulatory and security aspects.
Finally, all participants expressed their gratitude for the warm hospitality of the Dominican Republic Customs and the excellent organization (in person and virtually) of the Regional Conference for Directors General of Customs for the Americas and the Caribbean.
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.
