WCO Secretary General addresses the G7

On July 16, 2024, Secretary General Ian Saunders delivered keynote remarks at the G7 Industry Stakeholders Conference in Reggio Calabria, Italy.  This conference, sponsored by Confindustria, was held in the context of Italy serving as 2024 Chair of the Group of 7 (G7).  Secretary General Saunders joined a diverse group of industry and international leaders to discuss how the World Customs Organization (WCO) can collaborate to address contemporary challenges in international trade.

In his address during the session titled “Reconciling Economic Security and Free Trade,” Secretary General Saunders emphasized the importance of government-industry partnerships in achieving economic stability and equity within a free market. He asserted that success in reconciling these objectives depends on establishing trust among all actors involved in international trade and that this trust must be built and maintained through concrete actions and processes, not just rhetoric. 

The Secretary General highlighted the WCO’s strong tradition of engagement with the private sector, which informs the Organization’s instruments, provides critical perspective, and facilitates joint efforts to tackle significant issues like e-commerce, trade resilience, and effective use of technology.

He illustrated the success of these partnerships, stating, “This history of working together has yielded significant results, such as the International Convention on the Simplification and Harmonization of Customs Procedures (Revised Kyoto Convention); the Authorized Economic Operator concept in the SAFE Framework of Standards; and, more recently, the creation of the WCO’s E-Commerce Package.”

He added that, “Through these initiatives, we have created the blueprint for Customs improvement; highlighted the importance of transparency of requirements, predictability of treatment, and articulation of benefits for compliant companies”.  Secretary General Saunders concluded by asserting that institutionalized trust between Customs and industry can lead to solutions that reconcile economic security with free trade.

The B7 represents the interests of the G7 business community and shares its positions with the G7 leaders. As with the G7, the B7 membership is made up of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States.