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Korea Customs Service (KCS) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) conducted a joint Subregional Workshop on Capacity Building for Implementation of the World Trade Organization Trade Facilitation Agreement (WTO TFA) 21-23 November 2017, in Incheon, Republic of Korea. The Workshop was the first step in a KCS-SASEC multiyear joint capacity-building initiative designed to assist member countries enhance implementation of the WTO TFA in identified areas.

The Workshop

• Shared the experience of KCS and best international practice in implementing specific Customs-related trade facilitation in the areas of Time Release Study (TRS); Authorized Economic Operator (AEO); Post-clearance Audit (PCA); Advance Ruling; Single Window; Risk Management; Pre-arrival Processing; and Testing Procedures. KCS and members of the Indian delegation co-chaired and presented the various sessions;
• Developed preliminary Action Plans for each SASEC Customs administration that lay out priority steps and capacity-building requirements for further implementation of the WTO TFA.

Mr. Mingun Lee, Director, Multilateral Cooperation Division, KCS opened the Workshop, welcoming participants and recapping the aims of the KCS-SASEC partnership to facilitate knowledge and experience-sharing. World Customs Organization-accredited experts from KCS and the delegation from India co-chaired and co-presented the sessions on AEO, PCA, Advance Rulings, Single Window, and Risk Management. In addition, the delegation from Nepal co-chaired and co-presented its experience in conducting a TRS in 2016-2017; the delegation from Sri Lanka shared experience in developing an AEO system; the delegation from Maldives presented on PCA and Single Window preparation; and Bhutan described its initial steps in developing a Risk Management system.

The eight topics for this Workshop were identified through a survey prepared for the Learning Event of the Sixth Meeting of the SASEC Customs Subgroup, held on 14 June 2017, in Thimphu, Bhutan.

This Subregional Workshop will be following by national workshops held in all SASEC countries, with the continued support of KCS WCO-accredited experts and ADB, where capacity building will target areas of TFA implementation specific to the SASEC country and in line with the Action Plans developed at the Subregional Workshop.

This joint multiyear initiative is supported by the Government of the Republic of Korea through Official Development Assistance, and ADB technical assistance.