By addressing best practices in collection matters, security through Risk managementthe fight against corruption from the customs and the fight against drug trafficking, concluded the Forty-third Meeting of National Customs Directors held in Punta Cana.
In the meeting held within the framework of the Multilateral Customs Agreement of Latin America, Spain and Portugal (Comalep), the 21 member countries present in the Dominican Republic, the country chosen as host, the customs holders of these countries reconsidered their operations within of the challenges of environmental sustainability and gender equity.
The technical deputy director of the General Directorate of Customs, Gabino José Polanco, on behalf of the general director, Eduardo Sanz Lovatón, thanked the members of Comalep for their face-to-face and virtual assistance, while reaffirming the commitment of Dominican customs with the guidelines of that agreement and those of the World Customs Organization (OMA) and the World Trade Organization (WTO).
“It has allowed us to fulfill the most important objective of Comalep, which is to create bridges between us as owners and our teams that operate customs to promote cooperation and contribute to the competitiveness of the region,” explained Rafael Marín Mollinedo, head of the National Customs Agency of Mexico (ANAM), and permanent secretary of Comalep.
Marín Mollinedo also reported that security strategies at customs in the face of drug trafficking and other risks were analyzed as a constant task.
“I want to thank the hospitality and commitment of the Government of the Dominican Republic and all those who have made the success of this forty-third Meeting of National Directors of Customs of Comalep possible,” added the head of Mexican customs.
Also present at the concluding session were: Ricardo Treviño Chapa, Deputy Secretary General of the WTO; and Claudia Ávila, General Director of Customs Attention and International Affairs of the National Customs Agency of Mexico.
It is recalled that three international activities are held from May 15 to 19 at the facilities of the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Punta Cana, in search of identifying common opportunities and challenges, after the Dominican Republic was elected due to the progress it has exhibited in terms of customs management.
The first meeting was the “XLIII Meeting of National Directors for the Multilateral Agreement on Cooperation and Mutual Assistance between the National Customs Offices of Latin America, Spain and Portugal (Comalep)”, which took place on May 15 and 16.
On May 17, the “III Joint Customs Forum: Regional Group of the Private Sector”, where alliance opportunities and joint identification of solutions between the private sector and customs will be explored.
Finally, from May 18 to 19, the “XXV Regional Conference of Customs Directors General (CRDGA 2023)” will take place, a space that will be used to discuss issues that concern customs administrations, based on the strategic plan and WCO agenda, in the area of internal governance of the organization and the priorities of its members for the six regional vice-presidencies around the world.