Latest articles

Viet Nam Customs increases its active and effective role and engagement in the forum of the World Customs Organziation

At the sidelines of the 147^th/148^th Sessions of the World Customs Organization (WCO) Council, during a bilateral meeting with WCO Secretary General Ian Saunders, Mr. Nguyen Van Tho, Director General of the Department of Viet Nam Customs, congratulated the Secretary General on securing broad consensus and strong support from WCO Members for the ongoing reform and modernization of the WCO Secretariat. These reforms are widely regarded as an important step toward enhancing the Organization’s effectiveness, enabling it to better respond to the evolving needs of WCO Members while ensuring the effective implementation of the cooperation priorities and strategic objectives set out in the WCO Strategic Plan 2025–2028.

Reaffirming its support for the WCO’s reform agenda, Viet Nam Customs emphasized that strengthening the institutional capacity of the WCO Secretariat, improving the quality of services provided to Members, and enhancing the Secretariat’s ability to address the increasingly diverse needs of customs administrations are essential in light of the profound changes taking place in international trade, border management, and transnational security challenges.

On this occasion, Viet Nam Customs expressed its sincere appreciation to the Secretary General and the WCO Secretariat for their valuable and effective support over the past years, particularly in the areas of capacity building, human resource development, assistance provided to the Viet Nam Customs Representative in Belgium, and continued support for Viet Nam Customs’ external communications, notably the  Secretary General’s congratulatory message commemorating the 80^th Anniversary of the Foundtation of Viet Nam Customs in September 2025.

In line with the priorities set out in the WCO Strategic Plan 2025–2028, Viet Nam Customs noted that it is placing particular emphasis on accelerating digital transformation, expanding the application of advanced technologies in customs administration, and strengthening efforts to combat smuggling and trade fraud. These priorities are especially important in the context of the rapid growth of cross-border e-commerce, which presents new challenges and requirements for customs administrations.

As an active and responsible Member of the WCO, Viet Nam Customs has proactively participated in and made substantive contributions to a variety of WCO’s key activities. Notable examples include co-hosting the 2023 WCO Technology Conference and Exhibition in Ha Noi; actively participating in various WCO’s technical committees, including serving as Chair of the WCO’s Permanent Technical Committee (PTC) for the 2024–2026 term; contributing to the development of the Asia/Pacific Regional Strategic Plan; and coordinating one of the Asia/Pacifict Region’s priority areas.

Building on these achievements, Viet Nam Customs reaffirmed its commitment to making even greater contributions to the development of WCO policies, international standards, and best practices by sharing practical experience, actively participating in working groups and technical committees, and contributing to the WCO’s initiatives.

During the meeting, the Director General of Viet Nam Customs also informed the Secretary General that Viet Nam will host APEC 2027. In this context, Viet Nam Customs will chair the meetings of the APEC Sub-Committee on Customs Procedures (SCCP) and the APEC Customs - Business Dialogue, which are scheduled to take place in March and August 2027, respectively. On behalf of Viet Nam Customs, the Director General cordially invited the WCO Secretary General and representatives of the WCO Secretariat to attend these events in Viet Nam.

Commending the active and substantive contributions made by Viet Nam Customs, particularly within various WCO’s technical committees, the Secretary General acknowledged Viet Nam’s proactive and responsible role in supporting the development of WCO policies and the implementation of the Organization’s initiatives. The Secretary General emphasized that the reform and modernization of the WCO is a long-term undertaking which requires a clear strategic direction, well-defined implementation plans, and the active and responsible engagement of all WCO Members.

The Secretary General encouraged Viet Nam Customs, as an active member of the Asia/Pacific Region, to continue playing a leading role and to make further contributions to the implementation of the WCO Strategic Plan 2025–2028. He also encouraged Viet Nam Customs to share successful models and practical outcomes from its capacity-building programmes, thereby providing valuable references for expanding future cooperation and technical assistance activities across the WCO community.

In response to the invitation to attend the APEC SCCP 2027 events, the Secretary General expressed his sincere appreciation to Viet Nam Customs and noted that he would take the invitation into consideration when reviewing his official schedule for the coming year, with a view to participating should his commitments permit.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                     -SB-