Commissioner of Customs and Excise leads delegation to Belgium and France

Hong Kong's Commissioner of Customs and Excise, Ms Louise Ho, led a delegation to visit Brussels, Belgium, and Lyon, France on 21-26 June 2023 and attended the 141st/142nd Customs Co-operation Council (CCC) Sessions of the World Customs Organization (WCO) in Brussels.

The CCC Sessions is an annual high-level WCO meeting assembling heads and senior officials from 185 Customs administrations around the world. It provides a pivotal platform for Customs representatives to discuss and convene a broad spectrum of issues, such as e-commerce, data exchange, Green Customs, gender equality and diversity.

During the Sessions, Ms Ho signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Secretary-General of the WCO, Dr Kunio Mikuriya, to confirm the establishment of a WCO Regional Dog Training Centre in Hong Kong, a momentous step forward for Hong Kong Customs in leading canine training in the Asia-Pacific region.

At the signing ceremony, Ms Ho said that as a pioneer in global customs canine training and law enforcement affairs centre, Hong Kong Customs is preparing at full steam for the WCO 6th Global Canine Forum to be held in Hong Kong in March 2024.

In addition, Ms Ho signed Customs Co-operative Arrangements with Peru and the Maldives with the aim to strengthen intelligence exchanges and information sharing, crack down cross-boundary customs crimes, and facilitate trade. Currently, Hong Kong Customs has established 31 similar co-operative instruments with the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China and 30 overseas Customs administrations.

After the Sessions, Ms Ho paid a courtesy call on the Director of Organized and Emerging Crime Directorate of INTERPOL, Ms Ilana De Wild, in Lyon. She commended that INTERPOL has been making impressive strides in combating international crimes and pledged that the two sides will maintain close co-operation to fight against cross-boundary crimes.

Photo shows Commissioner of Customs and Excise, Ms Louise Ho and the Assistant Commissioner (Excise and Strategic Support), Mr Rudy Hui.

Ms Ho (right) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Secretary General of the WCO, Dr Kunio Mikuriya (left), to confirm the establishment of a WCO Regional Dog Training Centre in Hong Kong.

A Customs detector dog at work in Hong Kong.

Ms Louise Ho (centre) with the Director of Organized and Emerging Crime Directorate of INTERPOL, Ms Ilana De Wild (second right).