News
Japan supports WCO (World Customs Organization)’s
Counter-Terrorism Initiative for Asian Countries
22/02/2017
The government of Japan has decided to provide funding for the amount of 7 million USD to the WCO (World Customs Organization) to implement its counter-terrorism initiative for the Asia/Pacific Region.
This aims to ensure the stability and security of the region and society through support countering terrorism and violent extremism in the Asian countries, which are facing emerging threats, such as ISIL (Da'esh).
Concretely, the WCO launches a new security project to strengthen the capacity of customs administrations in the region to detect the materials needed to produce explosive devices, and to better analyze the risk of air passenger and cargoes. The implementation of the project will reinforce the counter terrorism measures at the borders to prevent the inflow of explosives and arms.
On Wednesday 22 February 2017, Ambassador Ishii met with Dr. Kunio Mikuriya, the Secretary General of the WCO at the headquarters of the WCO in Brussels for the exchange of Verbal Notes for the implementation of the project. The Secretary General Dr. Mikuriya said, “Our new Customs counter-terrorism initiative demonstrates the collective determination of the Customs community to effectively fight global terrorism. This initiative enables us to actively support Customs administrations in the region to implement all necessary measures to further secure the supply chain and combat terrorism.”
Ambassador Ishii stressed that Japan attaches importance on the cooperation with the WCO, as the role of border control for countering terrorism is being focused on more and more. In addition, he emphasized that the funded projects would render much deeper and stronger cooperation and mutual trust not only with the WCO, but also with Asia/Pacific Members.