On 02 June 2026, the World Customs Organization (WCO) announced that, across April and May, its six regions had held their annual meetings, bringing together Customs administrations at the regional level to discuss cooperation, strategic priorities and engagement with the WCO.
Convened by the WCO Council vice-chairpersons, these meetings are central to the WCO’s regional approach and provide ideal forums for the WCO Secretariat to gain insight into region-specific challenges and to share updates on the WCO’s activities with each WCO region.
Discussions held during these meetings are timely, as they pave the way for the WCO Council Sessions in June, during which heads of Customs from around the world will gather in Brussels, Belgium, to discuss global cooperation achievements and challenges.
187 members across six regions
These six meetings represent key milestones in the WCO’s annual calendar, ensuring dialogue at the regional level and providing the WCO Secretary General (SG) with the opportunity to engage directly with the entire membership. By visiting each region in turn, he was able to gain a comprehensive overview of the specific challenges faced across regions ahead of the Council Sessions.
They also provided the SG with the opportunity to update members on the first year of implementation of the WCO Strategic Plan 2025 to 2028, highlighting that concrete deliverables have already been achieved across all strategic objectives and focus areas, as well as progress made in the ongoing modernisation process.
Regional highlights
Asia/Pacific (A/P) region: Held in Hong Kong, the People’s Republic of China, from 17 to 20 May 2026, the 27th Conference of the A/P Heads of Customs reviewed progress under the regional strategic plan, emphasising regional priorities, enforcement and capacity-building activities and contributions by the WCO regional entities.
East and Southern Africa (ESA) region: Formally opened by the country’s minister for finance and hosted in Zanzibar, Tanzania, on 14 and 15 May 2026, the ESA 32nd Governing Council focused on regional strategy implementation, visibility and collective responses to shared challenges.
West and Central Africa region (WCA) region: Opened by the President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, the 32nd Conference of the Directors General of Customs brought together directors general from member administrations of the WCA region in Freetown, Sierra Leone, on 07 and 08 May 2026, to discuss regional issues related to the theme of Customs’ mission of protecting society through vigilance and commitment, aligned with the 2026 WCO theme.
North Africa, Near and Middle East (MENA) region: Held online on 05 May 2026, the meeting discussed governance issues and how best to strengthen cooperation among Customs administrations in the region and with the WCO.
WCO Americas and the Caribbean (AMS) region: Held in Lima, Peru, on 20 and 21 April 2026, the conference of the region’s DG focused on security issues and the role of Customs in protection. At the margins of the conference, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed with Brazil to establish a new Regional Office for Capacity Building.
Europe region: Heads of Customs administrations from the Europe region met in Brussels, Belgium, at the WCO on 16 and 17 April 2026 to discuss engagement with the private sector and the security challenges Customs faces in protecting society, including their work on fragile borders, and agreed on priority areas for regional cooperation.
Next steps
The 147th/148th sessions of the WCO Council will be held from 25 June 2026 to 27 June 2026 in Brussels, Belgium, gathering the heads of its 187 member Customs administrations to discuss achievements and challenges in global Customs cooperation.
Useful info
Read the op-ed by the SG, ‘Protecting What Matters: Customs on the Frontline’, published in Tanzanian media outlets The Citizen and Daily News and in Sierra Leone-based media Global Times, Politico SL, Awoko newspaper and the Exclusive - https://shorturl.at/EIszo
And another op-ed by the SG, ‘A steady hand at the border – why Customs matters more than ever’, which was also published in media outlets of the Americas – Aduanas News and El Peruano - WCO.