Grants and Contributions:
As the only customs focused multilateral organization, the World Customs Organization (WCO), brought together 184 member countries to discuss relevant issues such as capacity building, performance measurement, nomenclature and classification of goods, valuation of goods, border enforcement and compliance, and trade.
In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the WCO shifted its focus in 2020-21, and into 2021-22, to its COVID-19 Action Plan as a temporary and overarching priority for the organization, which included the facilitation of vaccines and related medical supplies across borders. As of June 2022, all actions have been completed with the single exception being the Staff Resilience and Stress Management workshop material, to be completed by end of 2022.
FY 2021-22 was also the opportunity for Canada to participate in the multiple consultations that helped shape the WCO Strategic Plan 2022-25, namely through discussions on topics such as Technologies and Innovation, Green Customs, and Governance and Accountability, which will constitute focus areas for the WCO in the next three years.
Canada remained an active member of various working bodies and committees dedicated to key areas of Customs, such as Harmonized Systems, Revised Kyoto Convention, Advanced Passenger Information, and Capacity Building. Canada was also elected as the Chair of the Working Group on Performance Measurement.
As a member of the WCO Finance Committee, Canada helped to ensure effective financial management of the organization, noting the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on activities and operations.
Through Canada’s active participation in the Policy Commission, Canada proposed revisions to the WCO’s governance, focused on electoral reform, to ensure greater transparency, accessibility, and accountability.