Azerbaijan puts forward proposals on WCO strategic plan

The strategic plan for 2022-2025 will be presented to the Political Commission of the World Customs Organization (WCO) in December this year, Report informs.

The remarks were made at a meeting in the format of a video conference between Chairman of Azerbaijan’s State Customs Committee (SCC) Safar Mehdiyev and WCO Deputy Secretary General Ricardo Trevino Chapa.

The plan provides for a balanced approach to those areas where the main focus should be placed on ensuring the sustainability of the WCO. This plan aims to improve the overall approach through regional consultations.

During the discussions, Safar Mehdiyev, expressing the position of the Azerbaijani customs service on this issue, noted that the new strategic plan of the WCO should be prepared in the context of the problems, priorities and risks identified during the in-depth analysis of the Environmental Scan. In addition, differences among WCO regions must be taken into account in the process of developing the strategic plan. At the meeting, other opinions and proposals regarding the plan were also voiced.

The SCC reports that in connection with the preparation of the WCO Strategic Plan for 2022-2025, the organization is holding relevant consultations in all regions, and the position of the Azerbaijani customs service as a member of the WCO political commission is of particular importance.

The conclusions of the member states, including Azerbaijan, regarding the prioritization of the Strategic Plan, reflected such issues as digital customs and data analysis, e-commerce, data exchange, “single window” and coordinated border management, etc.