The World Customs Organization (WCO) and the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH) released the Guidelines on Cooperation between Customs and Port Authorities on the occasion of the IAPH 2023 World Ports Conference which opened today 31 October in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, according to WCO's release.
The Guidelines outline methods to institutionalize cooperation, establish a data governance policy and ensure a mutual understanding of each other’s business, with a particular focus on digitalizing data flows. The document covers business processes, supporting IT systems, including the involved actors and the use of innovative technologies. It also discusses implementing interoperability between Customs’ and ports’ automated systems for the single submission of logistic and operational data sets, emphasizing adherence to WCO and International Maritime Organization (IMO) reference data models.