The International Civil Aviation Organization (Icao) and the World Customs Organization (WCO) have called on governments to demonstrate maximum flexibility with respect to border clearance and air transport supply chain operations essential to the effective distribution of Covid-19 vaccines and related medical supplies.
The two agencies have also developed new guidelines to help countries achieve better alignment of their customs and security procedures.
The joint statement urges the rapid establishment of the infrastructure needed to support end-to-end vaccine storage and logistics for public supplies.
Improved open collaboration between the aviation and customs communities and partnering organisations is also strongly emphasised.
The new Joint WCO-ICAO Guiding Principles for Pre-Loading Advance Cargo Information will meanwhile build on earlier progress achieved by Icao and WCO on another important risk management approach, one focused on the pre-loading of advance cargo information and designed exclusively to prevent explosives from being placed in air cargo shipments.
