"Cotecna wishes to congratulate the WCO’s development of the draft Framework of Standards, a bold step forward for Customs modernization that will assist in securing and facilitating global trade once adopted by Customs administrations. As a member of the Taskforce, Cotecna had the opportunity to appreciate the collaborative spirit of the WCO in the consultative meetings with the private sector. We feel that open dialogue is the path to winning the support of global business.
As an active member of the ISO Working Groups on supply chain security, we expect that this Framework will be a fulcrum for international standards. We are also conscious of the enormous challenge that the implementation of the Framework will represent to certain Customs administration and Cotecna, in its modest way, looks forward to participating in the capacity building needs.
The twin pillars of the Framework are ground breaking; the ‘Customs-Customs’ pillar in our opinion is a major opportunity for building bridges between Customs of the world. Effective mutual recognition will reinforce the standards and generate synergies and pride throughout Customs administrations. The ‘Customs-Business’ pillar underlines the critical need for public-private partnerships to make our world more secure. Cotecna is a strong proponent of such an approach".
JOHN A. BROADHURST, Vice-President COSEC |