Customs

On 17 June 2015 the WCO announced that the Revised Kyoto Convention now had 101 Contracting Parties following the accession of Thailand and Sierra Leone. On 12 June 2015, at the 125th/126th Sessions of the Customs Co-operation Council, the Secretary General of the WCO, Kunio Mikuriya, in his capacity as the depository of the Convention, took receipt of the instruments of accession of Thailand and Sierra Leone to the International Convention on the Simplification and Harmonisation of Customs Procedures (Revised Kyoto Convention).

During a short ceremony held to mark the occasion, it was recalled that this international instrument was considered as forming the basis for effective, efficient and modern Customs procedures.

Having entered into force on 3 February 2006, the Revised Kyoto Convention (RKC) now has 101 Contracting Parties. As a reminder, the International Convention on the Simplification and Harmonisation of Customs Procedures (Kyoto Convention) was adopted in 1973 and entered into force in 1974 in its original version. It was revised and updated to ensure it meets the current needs of governments and international trade.

The Convention’s key elements include the application of simplified Customs procedures in a predictable and transparent environment, the optimal use of information technology, the utilisation of risk management, a strong partnership with trade and other stakeholders and a readily accessible system of appeals.