AMS Region continues to nurture international cooperation celebrating the 5th Joint Forum Customs-RPSG and the 45th Meeting of the COMALEP

The Americas and the Caribbean region continues to promote public and private cooperation at an international level. From 7 to 9 May 2025, San Salvador, El Salvador, hosted the 5th Joint Forum between Customs and the Regional Private Sector Group (RPSG)of the Americas and Caribbean, and the 45th Meeting of the Agreement on Cooperation and Mutual Assistance between the National Customs Directorates of Latin America, Spain and Portugal (COMALEP).

At the invitation of Peru n its capacity as Regional Vice-Chair, El Salvador as hosting country and the RPSG Chair, Mr. Ricardo Treviño Chapa, Deputy Secretary General of the World Customs Organization (WCO), participated in the opening ceremony of the 5th Joint Forum between Customs and the RPSG, on 7 May. The Deputy Secretary General took the opportunity to highlight the group's trajectory since its inception in 2019, promoting open dialogue between Customs and the private sector. He also highlighted the alignment of the meeting's work program with the WCO 2022-2025 strategy roadmap and the proposed 2025-2028 strategy, such as security, trade control and facilitation, use of technology and green Customs, and inclusion and integrity.

Also, the WCO Deputy Secretary General took part the opening ceremony of the 45th Meeting of the COMALEP. In his opening remarks, the WCO Deputy Secretary General noted that the diversity of membership in an international organization offers opportunities and strengths that can only be leveraged when the parties involved are committed to working together to find solutions to the challenges they face.

As part of the two-day agenda, the Directors General reflected on institutional strengthening and national and international collaboration as key axes to dismantle criminal networks and protect the integrity of global trade; addressed the challenges and opportunities in building a culture of integrity within customs administrations; and analyzed the drivers of connectivity and regional development, as well as the challenges facing supply chains in an increasingly dynamic trade environment. They also dwelled on Customs capacities to prevent illegal trafficking of goods linked to the environment.

As a result of their meetings, the contracting parties of COMALEP (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Portugal, Spain, Uruguay and Venezuela) reach agreements on which they work intersessionally, under the leadership of the ANAM, in its capacity as Permanent Secretariat.