The World Customs Organization (WCO) highlighted that in order to face the Covid-19 pandemic, it has coordinated with other international organizations with the slogan that global crises require global responses.

In these difficult times, it was important for customs administrations to know the perspectives of their main customers, that is, private sector stakeholders, in order to provide the necessary facilitation measures to ensure that flows of essential goods, especially supplies medical, food and energy, keep moving without interruption.

In its annual report, the World Customs Organization stated that it has also maintained close contacts with other international organizations, such as the WTO, IMO, ICC, IRU, UPU, OTIF, OSJD and UN-OHRLLS, to send coherent messages to companies and ensure a coordinated approach to border management.

This was especially highlighted by the development, together with the WTO, UNCTAD, CSSO, GATF, IATA and ITC, of ​​the Covid-19 Trade Facilitation Repository, a platform that consolidates trade facilitation initiatives taken by organizations and concerned parties.

In this time of crisis, according to its own report, the World Customs Organization demonstrated global leadership and actively contributed to ensuring coordination and coherence with other international organizations.

World Customs Organization

Despite the global solidarity and benevolence shown in times of crisis, criminals often try to turn confusion into an opportunity for fraudulent activity.

“This has been, unfortunately, the case of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Secretariat identified an alarming number of reports citing seizures of counterfeit critical medical supplies, such as masks and hand sanitizers in particular, ”said the World Customs Organization.

The WCO adequately informed the general public about the disastrous risks that arise from purchasing critical medical supplies from unknown sources, particularly online, and recommended extreme caution.

It also launched the CENcomm Group of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) in order to offer an adequate means for the permanent and real-time exchange of relevant information to combat these criminal activities.

Customs and multilateralism

The customs community responded in this way to expectations related to its particular role in the security area, preventing suspicious and potentially harmful goods from entering the market.

Likewise, the 2019 WCO Customs Environmental Analysis questioned, in the light of international developments, whether multilateralism was in crisis.

According to the World Customs Organization, international organizations have proven helpful in providing the right platforms for shaping and circulating relevant information and guidance, as well as providing reassurance and reassurance to stakeholders.

Faced with such a challenge, which goes beyond sovereignty and national borders, countries and governments naturally turned to international organizations to ensure a critical level of coherence in the approach adopted.

Therefore, the WCO added, international organizations have a crucial role to play and must effectively prepare for different types of global crises in order to be fully efficient.

Crisis

The report «World at Risk» insists on the importance of preparedness6 for governments, national authorities and international organizations, among others.

The WCO said that throughout the crisis, international organizations took over the leader and played a key role in supporting and guiding governments and stakeholders.

International organizations multiplied contacts and joint statements to ensure a critical level of coherence and to express the concerns of their members, something that cannot be achieved at the level of individual states.

Therefore, it is essential to take advantage of these findings to prepare for the future.

International organizations must provide their members with the right tools to remain relevant and to be able to improve cooperation with their partners. Being able to react quickly is one thing, but being proactive is critical to reducing vulnerability and strengthening members’ ability to take leadership.

This is valid for the entire World Customs Organization and also for all multilateral organizations in the world.