16 July 2026, Bangkok, Thailand

The Regional Office for Capacity Building for Asia/Pacific (ROCB A/P) held an introductory online meeting with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) to discuss potential collaboration under the ASEAN-German Regional Project on the circular economy (TRACE).

The meeting, led by representatives from ROCB A/P including Mr. Jun Tajima, Mr. Mark Ho, Ms. Chananchita Rueng-O-Cha, focused on aligning their efforts to support ASEAN Members in advancing trade-related aspects of the circular economy, particularly through capacity building on Green Customs, Basel Convention compliance, and related trade facilitation measures.

GIZ is implementing the “Promotion of trade-related aspects for circular economy in ASEAN (TRACE)” project, commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). Running from June 2025 to May 2029, the project builds on a decade-long partnership between Germany and ASEAN.

Planned activities feature policy briefs on transboundary waste control, Green Customs training, circular supply chain workshops, and innovative tools like VR for container inspections. While regional in scope across all 11 ASEAN Members, the project places strategic emphasis on Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam.

Both sides expressed strong interest in closer collaboration to avoid duplication and maximize impact. ROCB A/P offered to share information on its activities, enabling more effective training and workshops. GIZ can approach ROCB A/P regarding WCO projects and share their knowledge and updates on bodies like the ASEAN Customs Capacity Building Working Group (CCWG).

ROCB A/P will continue supporting members through tailored technical assistance and knowledge-sharing opportunities. This introductory discussion marks a promising step toward partnership between ROCB A/P and GIZ, contributing to more efficient, environmentally responsible Customs practices across the Asia/Pacific region.

For more information, please contact our office at rocb@rocbap.org