When tsunami waves mercilessly engulfed Tonga's coastline, and when COVID-19 spread across the globe at unprecedented speed, a critical question emerged: How can customs authorities transform into lifelines during disasters—ensuring rapid movement of relief supplies while minimizing economic and social disruption? The third issue of the World Customs Organization (WCO) COVID-19 Project Newsletter provides a comprehensive response to this pressing question.
Modernizing Customs for Effective Disaster Response
Launched in July 2020 with financial support from the Japanese government, the WCO COVID-19 Project's latest newsletter focuses on "Promoting Modern and Digital Customs for Efficient Disaster Relief Operations." It examines the application of information technology tools in disaster management and details the WCO Secretariat's recent actions to implement the WCO COVID-19 Action Plan , with particular attention to facilitation and compliance matters aimed at mitigating the pandemic's negative impacts.
The increasing frequency of natural disasters worldwide, compounded by the ongoing pandemic, has highlighted customs' pivotal role in humanitarian assistance. Customs authorities must not only ensure swift clearance of critical supplies but also coordinate efficiently with numerous agencies involved in importing relief goods. Simultaneously, COVID-19 has accelerated the digital transformation of global trade procedures, including customs processes. Thus, maintaining supply chain continuity while ensuring commercial flow security and legality has become an urgent priority.
Preparing for an Uncertain Future
The pandemic has served as a wake-up call for the international community: The future holds great uncertainty, and only thorough preparation can equip nations to handle unpredictable emergencies. Accordingly, this WCO newsletter focuses on natural disaster preparedness, exploring how customs can leverage existing technologies to address humanitarian crises in a timely, organized manner.
The publication analyzes technical support provided to beneficiary countries—Angola, Comoros, Madagascar, and the Dominican Republic—who sought capacity-building assistance to strengthen their disaster relief legal frameworks and significantly enhance emergency response capabilities. It also examines how training programs (including simulation exercises) help border agencies and stakeholders prepare for contingencies, while highlighting WCO members' achievements in combating illegal flows of COVID-19-related goods through improved online communication systems.
Key Focus Areas
- Digital Tools in Disaster Management: The newsletter emphasizes technologies like big data analytics for risk prediction, GIS for damage assessment and resource allocation, mobile apps for public communication, and blockchain for supply chain transparency.
- Customs' Humanitarian Role: Simplified clearance procedures, safety compliance checks, inter-agency coordination, and pre-clearance mechanisms to expedite relief delivery.
- Capacity Building: Technical assistance for legal framework development, professional training, and inter-institutional cooperation through simulation exercises.
- Combating Illegal Trade: Enhanced online systems, information sharing, and risk management techniques to identify and intercept high-risk shipments.
Country-Specific Progress
Angola: Strengthening Legal Frameworks
Facing frequent droughts, floods, and earthquakes, Angola collaborated with the WCO project to streamline customs procedures for relief goods, establish cross-agency coordination mechanisms, and enhance personnel training—significantly improving disaster response capabilities.
Comoros: Enhancing Border Security
Vulnerable to cyclones and rising sea levels, this island nation upgraded its customs information systems, implemented advanced risk management protocols, and invested in inspection equipment to better detect illicit shipments while facilitating legitimate trade.
Madagascar: Optimizing Supply Chains
By establishing emergency stockpiles, optimizing transport routes, and improving logistics coordination, Madagascar now ensures faster delivery of relief supplies to areas affected by recurrent droughts, floods, and tropical storms.
Dominican Republic: Fostering International Cooperation
Prone to hurricanes and earthquakes, the country strengthened partnerships through bilateral agreements, joint exercises, and intelligence sharing with neighboring states and international organizations.
This third newsletter builds upon two previous editions from November and June 2021, which addressed COVID-19 vaccine facilitation and members' best practices respectively. By sharing knowledge and experiences, the WCO COVID-19 Project continues to help members enhance emergency preparedness while supporting global trade recovery.