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Self Report 2017

The self-report on WHS Commitments below is organized according to the 24 transformations of the Agenda for Humanity. It is based on commitments pledged at the time of report submission. Click on the 'Expand' symbol to expand each section and read the reporting inputs by transformation.

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4B
Anticipate, do not wait, for crises

Individual Commitment

  • Commitment
  • Commitment Type
  • Core Responsibility

  • The World Customs Organization commits to maintain smooth communication between customs and other actors in order to ensure mutual understanding and comprehension and also to ensure that aid reaches those in need in a timely manner.


  • Partnership
  • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need

  • The World Customs Organization commits to strengthen cooperation and coordination with other national government agencies involved in border management to secure the smooth flow of relief consignments.


  • Partnership
  • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need

  • The World Customs Organization commits to work with other government agencies in developing national emergency plans and to carry out simulation exercise.


  • Operational
  • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need

  • The World Customs Organization commits to increase its work with administrations that have experienced emergency situations in order to collect concrete cases on their practices and to develop best practices and standards.


  • Policy
  • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need

  • The World Customs Organization commits to launch a new initiative to support customs administrations in West Africa thanks to funding from the Government of the Netherlands. This assistance programme will enable the customs administrations of the countries most severely impacted by the Ebola virus disease, as well as other countries in West Africa, to be better prepared in the future to cope with health-related and natural disasters.


  • Operational
  • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need

  • What led your organization to make the commitment?

    The World Customs Organization (WCO) is the only independent inter-governmental organization with competence in customs matters. When disasters occur, cross-border trade rules applicable to consignments containing humanitarian assistance – particularly for highly regulated items such as foodstuffs, medication, medical equipment, vehicles and telecommunications – are complicated by the imperative need for speed, the unfamiliarity of some donors with local rules, and the disruption of normal procedures. Given its position at borders, customs plays a key role in facilitating the expeditious movement of goods sent as emergency humanitarian aid, but without compromising appropriate standards of customs control.

  • Achievements at a glance

    To assist governments in ensuring secure, fast and efficient clearance of relief consignments, the WCO implemented a number of measures. It has developed international standards - contained in Specific Annex (SA) J5 to the Revised Kyoto Convention (RKC) and in Annex B9 to the Istanbul Convention - and a number of tools to support stakeholder engagement, Coordinated Border Management, risk management, etc. The WCO provides implementation assistance to its Members and facilitates the exchange of experience between administrations in the area of natural disaster relief (NDR). On 1 June 2016 the RKC had 103 Contracting Parties (CPs) and 25 of them had accepted SAJ5. At the same date the Istanbul Convention had 67 CPs and 45 of them had accepted Annex B9. The WCO has a section on its website dedicated to NDR. It has carried out NDR workshops in five of its six regions and implements the C-RED project.

  • How is your organization assessing progress

    As at 31 December 2016 the number of CPs to the RKC had risen to 105 and the number of acceptances to SAJ5 to 26. At the end of 2016 the number of CPs to the Istanbul Convention had risen to 68 and the number of acceptances of Annex B9 to 46. In November 2016 a regional workshop was carried out in the West Africa region under the C-RED project funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands and implemented by the WCO in cooperation with OCHA, IFRC and WHO.

  • Next step to advance implementation in 2017

    The WCO is committed to succesfully implementing the C-RED project aimed at assisting Customs Administrations in West Africa to be better prepared to minimize the effects of regional epidemic diseases and natural disasters and to promoting its instruments, tools and initiatives aimed at facilitating the movement of relief consignments.

  • If you had one message for the annual report on what is most needed to advance the transformation 'Anticipate, do not wait, for crises', what would it be

    Preparedness is key and it can be achieved through the availability of a pre-established clear legal framework and effective customs clearance procedures, as well as effective coordinated border management procedures.

  • Cross cutting issues

    ☑Innovation