South African Revenue Service (Sars) commissioner Edward Kieswetter has been elected as the new World Customs Organisation (WCO) chairperson.
Kieswetter, the second Sars commissioner after Pravin Gordhan to be appointed to the role, was elected on 24 June at the organisation’s council session at the WCO headquarters in Brussels.
He succeeds outgoing chairman Ahmed Al-Khalifa. In accepting his election, Kieswetter thanked his colleagues from the African continent, especially East and Southern Africa, Brics partners and other regions.
He said that there’s an inordinate amount of leadership that accompanies such a responsibility, describing it as “a rare privilege to assist international efforts to bring customs matters to the centre of international trade facilitation.
“This election is ample evidence that the leadership of Sars is acknowledged after many years of state capture”.
The elections were preceded by policy commission discussions ranging from progress on WCO technical programmes, emerging and new challenges plaguing customs globally, and organisational development issues around governance and modernisation of the organisation as a member-driven organisation.
Kieswetter said his agenda as chairperson included working with his colleagues and peers from member countries to listen actively and ensure that the WCO’s strategy finds practical expression through a well-managed secretariat, a transformational modernisation plan, an appropriate set of priorities and a clear sense of what winning means.
He said he would “advocate for greater inclusivity with a strong focus on women and people with disabilities, build resilient and effective partnerships with all stakeholders”, and “strive towards an enhanced profile of the important role of customs in the service of society”.
The only other time the country chaired the WCO Council was between 2001 to 2006 under the leadership of Gordhan.
The Policy Commission also elected Ian Sanders of the United States as the new secretary-general, succeeding Kunio Mikuriya. Sanders will start his term on New Year’s Day, 2024.
The WCO has 185 members, three-quarters of which are developing countries and the council is its highest decision-making body. It was established in 1952 as the Customs Cooperation Council (CCC) as the only intergovernmental organisation exclusively focused on customs matters and recognised as the voice of the global customs community. In 1994, the CCC adopted the working name of the World Customs Organisation (WCO).
