20-21 February 2023, Brussels, Belgium

The 17th Global Meeting of the WCO Regional Entities was held from 20 to 21 February 2023 at the WCO Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, in a hybrid format. Mr. Norikazu Kuramoto, Head of ROCB A/P, Ms. Yuko Mamiya, Program Manager, Ms. Zhengqing Ye, Program Manager, and Mr. Jaemin Cho, Program Manager, represented the office to attend the meeting in person.

Mr. Kuramoto played a chair role of the Meeting. In addition to that, he made presentation on the cooperation activities with regional entities by ROCB A/P. He also reported at the plenary session, an update on recent activities and challenges pertaining to the Asia Pacific region. This included the announcement of the Solomon Islands’ accession as the newest member of the WCO, as well as plans for capacity-building activities. Notably, he highlighted the RTC heads meeting, and RCL heads meeting as examples of successful collaboration aimed at furthering the WCO’s goals in the region. Finally, Mr. Kuramoto re-elected as a chairperson of the next Global Meeting of Regional Entities in 2024.

At this meeting, delegates from the Vice Chair’s Office, Regional Office for Capacity Building (ROCB), Regional Intelligence Liaison Office (RILO), Regional Training Centre (RTC), Regional Customs Laboratory (RCL), and Regional Dog Training Centre (RDTC) in the six WCO regions attended.

The objective of convening the Global Meeting is to facilitate the guidance and coordination of the activities of Regional Entities and Council Vice-Chairs’ Offices in the domain of capacity building. This aims to foster greater collaboration among these entities, promote the adoption of uniform standards to ensure a cohesive approach and performance, and offer advice to the WCO Capacity Building Committee.

During the meeting, the delegates from different regional entities discussed the latest tools and initiatives developed by each WCO directorate. The lively discussion also included updates on the newest progress and best practices from each participating regional entity.

For more information, please write to us at rocb@rocbap.org