This year's International Customs Day heralds the launch of the WCO Year of Digital Customs, a year in which each of the 180 WCO Member Administrations will endeavour to harness the enormous potential offered by the digitalisation process to the benefit of their Administrations.
This year's slogan, "Digital Customs: Progressive Engagement", builds on a fundamental and universal concept of all Customs Administrations: improvement. Customs, a rather unique cog in the governmental wheel, has always been a driver of change by virtue of its core mandate. Whether it is calculating duties, assessing cargo, or protecting borders, the role of Customs has always been to anticipate, adapt, and evolve. In consultation with key stakeholders, Customs has endeavoured to adapt its business processes to ensure increased efficiency, improved clearance times, and safer borders.
In this era of unparalleled innovation, Customs is called upon once again to evolve, adapt, and anticipate the inevitable changes that digitalisation will inaugurate. Anticipation is key, and many Administrations have already launched innovative digital programmes, illustrating their commitment to Information and Communication Technologies (ICT).
The benefits of ICT cannot be underestimated nor overlooked. The singularity of the tools, programmes and instruments of the WCO is that they are designed by Customs for Customs and predicated on the new, digital, reality. Since its inception, the WCO has sought to create a vision of the Administration of tomorrow. It is clear today that such a vision must encompass the new digital reality and technologies which abound and will, undoubtedly, contribute to improved Customs processes.
Customs, as a standard-setting agency of government, are obliged to keep apace of changes in the trade environment. It is crucial that Administrations assume their leadership role with respect to the enforcement of regulations as confusion, misinterpretation, and increased illicit activity are the marked characteristics and the natural consequences of an unregulated Customs environment. The advent of the new digital era, and the effects it has had on the business environment, has necessitated a swift and proactive response on the part of Customs.
The Administration of tomorrow will be required to take ownership of the myriad of technologies which exist today in order to better navigate the changing environment. The impact that digitalisation has had on the international trade landscape has been hugely significant and transformative. In the great tradition of Customs adaptability, Administrations armed with ICT and an understanding of the benefits thereof, will be best placed to respond to future iterations of current technologies and changes in the regulatory environment.
Wishing you all a happy and digital International Customs Day!
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