Out of the 185, Lan Saunders, an American citizen was elected the new secretary general of the World Customs Organisation replacing former the SG whose term has ended. The newly elected SG is now charged with the responsibilities to run the affairs of the WCO in the next years.
Also during the election Mr. Edward Kieswetter, a South African was elected as council chairperson.
The Gambian delegation from the Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA) was headed by the Commissioner General Yankuba Darboe, and it includes Deputy Commissioner General and Head of Domestic Taxes Essa Jallow among others.
The Gambia was among the decision making body that elected the new SG of the WCO.
During the convergence, the 141st/142nd Sessions of the World customs Organisation ECO Council – the highest decision making body of the organisations were held at WCO Headquarters in Brussels from 22nd to 24th June 2023. The sessions saw the participation of Directors General of Customs representing the 185 WCO members.
Under the guidance of Mr. A. AL Khalifa, director general of Bahrain Customs and outgoing chairperson of the WCO Council, the 2023 Council sessions reviewed the work carried out by the WCO throughout the year.
The discussions covered international standards, guidance documents and recommended practices developed by the different WCO working bodies with a view to enhancing the management of cross- border trade.
The Council focused its deliberations on various areas of customs work, including capacity building, Rules of Origin, Valuation, Nomenclature and Classification Compliance, and Trade Facilitation, as well as on Budget and Financial Matters.
The Council took note of the progress made in implementing the Strategic Plan 2022-2025, particularly in the key focus areas of Technology and Innovation, Green Customs and Governance and Accountability.
Regarding technology and innovation, the Council acknowledged the efforts of the data and statistics working group in implementing the WCO Data Strategy Scholarship for capacity building.
At the end of the meeting, delegates expressed their support for the newly developed WCO Action Plan on fragile borders and conflict affected situations, emphasising the importance of customs adapting to such contexts.
Regarding accessions to WCO instruments, the Council witnessed the Gambia depositing its instrument of accession to the International Convention on the Simplification and Harmonisation of Customs Procedures Revised Kyoto Convention Party to the convention.
The Council delegates also witnessed the signing of several Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) including the MoU on the Formalization of the Establishment of the regional office for capacity building in the United Arab Emirates.
Meanwhile the Customs Administration of Algeria won the annual WCO Photo competition. The winning photo showcased how customs officers braced the changing landscapes and climatic conditions while carrying out their mission to protect borders in cooperation with other border agencies.
