Adress by the Vice-Chair

Dear members of the European Region,

It is a great honour for the UK to be elected as Vice-Chair for the European Region, and I am grateful to you all for your confidence in me with this important position. 

Firstly, I would like to thank both Øystein Børmer, the outgoing Vice-Chair, and our Norwegian colleagues for their excellent leadership over the past two years, which they carried out in the face of global challenges adversely impacting customs work and in turn the work of the WCO. Norway will be a hard act to follow, but I hope my team and I can continue to build on their excellent work.

As Vice-Chair, I look forward to supporting the continued modernisation of global Customs cooperation, particularly through the WCO. Modernisation is not just about changing structures and procedures. It is also about improving our day-to-day cooperation in Europe and beyond, showcasing initiatives, sharing best practice and enabling partnerships to tackle common problems.

As capacity building is pivotal to such cooperation, I would like to thank the Regional Office of Capacity Building (ROCB) for their work in this area. I look forward to working with the ROCB and the network of Regional Training Centres to consider how we best support capacity building in the region.

I hope we will be able to work together fruitfully in the region, make a strong contribution to the WCO’s overall strategic priorities and continue supporting global customs in a changing world.

Address by Ms. Megan Shaw, 

Vice-Chair of the WCO Europe Region