Environmental issues : the focus of International Customs Day celebrations

“Customs and the Environment: Protecting our Natural Heritage” was the theme for 26th January 2009 International Customs Day. The day was marked by celebrations organised at the World Customs Organization (WCO) HQ in Brussels, Belgium, as well as those organised by customs administrations around the world.. The highlights of the Brussels event included speeches by the WCO Secretary General Mr Kunio Mikuryia, and other distinguished guests, an exhibition by Belgium Customs of seizures of endangered species, a demonstration by German Customs of the use of sniffer dogs in identifying smuggling of such items.

Rajendra Shende, UNEP DTIE (left) presenting the WCO Secretary General Mr Kunio Mikuryia with the UNEP Ozone Depleting Substances Customs Training Manual and the Green Customs Guide.

The event highlighted the growing problem of environmental crime and illegal trade in environmentally sensitive items and recognised the important role that customs officers play in the worldwide effort to combat this issue. Mr Mikuryia outlined the measures developed by the WCO to ensure that cross-border movement of environmentally sensitive goods complies with the relevant international agreements, and facilitation of communication between customs authorities and other competent authorities to enforce trade controls. Some specific examples of cooperation were described, including a number of joint WCO- United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) activities.

UNEP DTIE OzonAction used the occasion to launch the second edition of the Training Manual for Customs Officers: Saving the Ozone Layer - Phasing out Ozone Depleting Substances in Developing Countries – which it prepared to assist customs authorities in developing countries to ensure compliance with the Montreal Protocol. Please see information note. A copy of this manual and the recently completed Green Customs Guide to Multilateral Environmental Agreements was presented to Mr Mikuryia by Rajendra Shende of UNEP DTIE.

Rajendra Shende examining examples of endangered species seized by Belgium Customs

German Customs demonstrate the use of sniffer dogs in identifying smuggling of endangered species