Fifth CAREC Customs Cooperation Committee Meeting

The fifth Meeting of the Customs Cooperation Committee (CCC) was held on 11-13 October 2006 in Astana, Kazakhstan to assess the progress and chart the strategic direction of the CAREC’s Trade Facilitation Program.

The meeting included

• progress reports on activities since the fourth CCC Meeting;
• discussion on the work program under the priority areas of CAREC’s Trade Facilitation Program; and
• Consultation Forum on (i) Logistics Development and Trade Facilitation, and (ii) Integrated Border Management.

Background and Objectives

The CCC consists of the heads of customs administrations joining the CAREC Program supported by Asian Development Bank. The CCC provides overall coordination and supervision to the CAREC’s Trade Facilitation Program to promote customs reforms and modernization as a medium-term priority. The CCC has also been serving as a forum to promote an integrated trade facilitation approach through inter-agency cooperation and partnership with the business community. The CCC convenes the meeting each year.

The previous CCC Meetings were held in Urumqi, People’s Republic of China (PRC) on 20-21 August 2002; Tashkent, Republic of Uzbekistan on 9-10 October 2003; Baku, Azerbaijan on 1-3 December 2004; and Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia on 7-9 September 2005.