24 September 2003

WCO security task force to complete recommendations

The following article is excerpted from “American Shipper” of 24 September 2003. Members will be interested to note that CSCB President Carol West is a participant in the WCO Task Force on Security and Facilitation, in her role as Secretary of the International Federation of Customs Brokers Associations (IFCBA).

The task force on security and facilitation of the World Customs Organization is moving towards completing more detailed international recommendations on supply chain security procedures over the next year.

The group will continue to work at least until June 2004. At that time, the council of the World Customs Organization may decide to extend the duration of the security and facilitation task force.

The specialized task force on security and facilitation of the World Customs Organization was formed as an ad hoc committee between customs officials and business representatives in June 2002, in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States. The Group of Eight Nations inter-government group (G8) directed the Brussels-based World Customs Organization to develop harmonized security rules to prevent the use of legitimate international cargoes as a means of attack by terrorists.

Jouko Lempiainen, director of compliance and facilitation at the World Customs Organization, said that the task force is currently conducting an analysis of security methods for each transport mode. He said that the group is still consulting various parties and is expected to finish its work "towards the summer of 2004."…

In June of this year, the World Customs Organization agreed on supply chain security guidelines, including the need for prior-shipment information to identify high-risk shipments, but did not specify at that time who would be responsible for providing data to customs prior to the shipment, nor the deadline for submission applicable to each transport mode.

Lempiainen observed that many countries are now establishing their own security regimes. The World Customs Organization, however, would prefer harmonized international procedures, he said.