The World Customs Organization (WCO) has held its 34th Meeting of the Revised Kyoto Convention Management Committee (RKC/MC), convened in a hybrid format from 02 to 03 October 2024, which involved representatives of Contracting Parties, Member administrations, Observers, and partner Organisations.
The meeting started with opening remarks from the WCO Compliance and Facilitation Director, who welcomed participants and invited them to contribute to the discussions for a fruitful outcome actively.
The meeting successfully endorsed 26 updates to the references and appendices of certain chapters in the General Annex and Specific Annexes of the RKC Guidelines. These updates reflect the contributions of 8 RKC Contracting Parties and 3 international organisations.
Regarding the proposal to develop an RKC Quality Implementation and Compliance Assessment Toolkit (QuICK!), the meeting deliberated on the Informal Working Group (IWG) recommendations. It supported the IWG’s recommendation to expand the scope of the RKC QuICK! proposal and adopt a more holistic approach.
In addition, a panel session on the application of Information Communication Technology in Customs operations (ICT Guidelines) was held. As a result, it was determined that there is a need for a comprehensive update of the current RKC ICT Guidelines. The meeting also gauged the interest of RKC Contracting Parties in submitting best practices on key and emerging RKC topics. It recommended that those interested share their best practices. Japan proposed incorporating Passenger Name Record (PNR) data into the RKC Guidelines, which was supported. Iran’s proposal to explore the integration of artificial intelligence into risk management was also discussed and suggested for consideration in the relevant RKC Guidelines. Guatemala’s inquiry regarding best practices for implementing inward processing was successfully concluded while encouraging Contracting Parties to continue sharing additional best practices.
The meeting also featured two insightful presentations: one by the Korean Customs Service on its use of artificial intelligence in risk management and another by the International Narcotics Control Board on the challenges faced by international travellers carrying prescribed psychotropic substances and medications.
Welcoming Honduras as the 137th Contracting Party to the RKC, delegates received a presentation on their experiences and challenges during the RKC accession process.
Finally, the updated draft RKC/MC Work Programme for 2022-2025 was presented, discussed, and endorsed by the RKC/MC.