3–5 June 2025, Brunei Darussalam

The 14th ASEAN–World Customs Organization (WCO) Consultation Meeting was successfully held during the 34th Meeting of the ASEAN Directors-General of Customs, hosted in the serene and welcoming environment of Brunei Darussalam. The Royal Customs and Excise Department of Brunei, serving as this year’s host, offered warm hospitality to Jun Tajima, Head of the ROCB A/P who participated in-person, and showed excellent organization, helping to create an atmosphere for cooperation, productive dialogue and future planning.

The ASEAN-WCO Consultation Meeting serves as a critical platform for direct engagement among the WCO Secretariat, the ROCB A/P and the Customs Administrations of ASEAN Members. It is an opportunity to exchange updates, align Regional and Global Customs priorities. This year, Timor Leste participated as an observer for the Meeting.  

The Consultation was conducted in a manner that mutually exchanging updates on latest policy priorities and strategic initiatives. Mr. Ian Sanders, Secretary General of the WCO explained the Strategic Plan to be discussed in the Council Session later this month, and encouraged ASEAN to disseminate its good practices to other Regions through the WCO.  It also provided the ROCB A/P an invaluable opportunity to hear the collective voice of ASEAN. The WCO Secretariat and the ROCB A/P welcomed their comments of the region’s priorities.

On the sidelines, Mr. Tajima had a meeting with the Chair of the DG Meeting, Controller Azizil of Brunei Customs. Discussions focused on the importance of human resource development. Another significant exchange took place with the Commissioner of Timor-Leste Customs Authority, as the country prepares to join ASEAN. The dialogue centred on identifying capacity development needs and exploring how the WCO can best support Timor-Leste’s efforts.

Meetings also included valuable engagement with the private sector, offering insights on the impact of Customs modernisation of ASEAN for business operations. Stakeholders emphasized the importance of transparency, efficiency, and stronger public-private partnerships.

The outcomes of the consultation reaffirm the strong partnership between ASEAN, the WCO and the ROCB A/P with a shared commitment to keep modernising Customs, supporting their regional integration.

The ROCB A/P extends its sincere appreciation to the Royal Customs and Excise Department of Brunei Darussalam for their warm hospitality and excellent organization. Their efforts contributed greatly to the success of this important event.