On November 8, 2018, the World Customs Organization (WCO) announced they would devote 2019 to swift and smooth cross-border movement with the slogan, “SMART borders for seamless Trade, Travel, and Transport.”
According to the WCO, the SMART borders concept follows the guiding principles of Customs compliance, enforcement and facilitation efforts:
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Secure – enhancing supply-chain security and efficiency;
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Measurable – developing a robust, comprehensive and fully scientific methodology for performance measurement;
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Automated – exploiting cutting-edge technologies to improve processes, services and overall performance;
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Risk Management-based – an intelligence-driven and data-enabled risk management framework;
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Technology-driven – the use of advanced information and communication technologies.
The WCO will enhance many of the tools, instruments, and initiatives it has developed, to assist Customs administrations in making the transition to SMART borders.
The WCO will launch their annual theme on January 26, 2019.
The WCO press release may be found here:
