Why in News?

• Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) is organising a meeting of the Regional Heads of Customs Administration of Asia Pacific Region of the World Customs Organisation (WCO) in Kochi.

Objective of the meeting:

•  The meeting will take stock of the progress being made in carrying forward the programmes  Initiatives of WCO to promote, facilitate and secure the cross-border trade in the region and
•  The capacity building and technical assistance required to achieve this goal.

World Customs Organization:

• The World Customs Organization (WCO) is an intergovernmental organization headquartered in Brussels, Belgium.
• The WCO is internationally acknowledged as the global centre of customs expertise and plays a leading role in the discussion, development, promotion and implementation of modern customs systems and procedures.
• It is responsive to the needs of its members and its strategic environment, and its instruments and best-practice approaches are recognized as the basis for sound customs administration throughout the world.
•  The WCO’s primary objective is to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of member customs administrations, thereby assisting them to contribute successfully to national development goals, particularly revenue collection, national security, trade facilitation, community protection, and collection of trade statistics.