At the 165th GRIPS Forum on 27 May, 2019, Dr. Kunio Mikuriya, Secretary General of the World Customs Organization (WCO), gave a lecture titled “How to address the challenges and opportunities in the ever-changing international trade environment －Views of the World Customs Organization (WCO)”.

abstract:

Customs provides crucial infrastructure at national borders. In this context, the global Customs community, through the World Customs Organization, is working to be responsive to the evolution of world trade, characterized by globalization, global security concerns, digital innovations including e-commerce and data flows, and the need for an eco-friendly society. This lecture looks at how the WCO is addressing the current challenges facing the Customs community worldwide.

Speakers’ Profile:

Joined Ministry of Finance, Japan, after graduating from the Faculty of Law at The University of Tokyo, PhD in International Relations (University of Kent, United Kingdom)

1990-1993  First Secretary/Counsellor at the Japanese Mission to the GATT/WTO in Geneva

1993-1995  Director (Trade Negotiations including GATT/ WTO Uruguay Round and Free Trade Agreement), Customs and Tariff Bureau, Ministry of Finance

Vice-Chairman of the WCO Technical Committee on Rules of Origin (1995)

1995-1997  Director (Aid and Industrial Policy, Remuneration policy), Budget Bureau, Ministry of Finance

1997-2001  Director (Enforcement, International Affairs, Customs Policy), Customs and Tariff Bureau, Ministry of Finance

Chairman of the WCO Finance Committee (2000-2001)

2001        Counsellor (Customs), Minister’s Cabinet, Ministry of Finance of Japan

2002-2008  Deputy Secretary General of the WCO

2009 –       Secretary General of the WCO