Dear reader, I am pleased to welcome you to the reading of a wonderful work that will take you through the past, to know the present and to enter into the future of the flagship institution of the international customs community, the customs house in the world: the World Customs Organization (WCO).

This institution was created in 1952, under the name of Customs Cooperation Council, to optimize the efficiency and effectiveness of customs, especially con-cerning the harmonious treatment of the international flow of goods, as well as providing a uniform global solution in terms of tariff classification and customs valuation of goods. Initially made up of only 17 Customs Administrations, the WCO currently comprises 183 Members that treat 98% of global trade.

Throughout all these years, the only intergovernmental organization dedi- cated one hundred percent to customs issues has successfully led the many transformations and trends in processes and business models. The WCO has highlighted internationally the wide and complex customs function that pass- es through the tariff, collection, and trade issues, as well as national security functions. It is thanks to the technical discussions that take place in the WCO Working Groups that it is possible to develop guides and tools that always seek to strengthen control and promote the facilitation of international trade. The implementation of these tools is the result of the commitment made by its members and, if necessary, through its extensive network of experts, the WCO provides the necessary capacity building to achieve this.

On this occasion, as the current Assistant Secretary-General of the WCO, it is with great pride that I present to you this work written by Dr. Héctor H. Juárez Allende, a lawyer, and prominent customs specialist, who is currently serving as Judge of the Argentine Tax Court, the jurisdictional body where the resolu- tive acts of the customs administration of his country are reviewed (on appeal).

Before assuming the magistracy, the author worked for many years as a cus- toms official and as such, he reached the highest technical level of the agency. His extensive knowledge of international customs law allowed him to repre- sent the Argentine Republic in the negotiation and drafting of the MERCOSUR Customs Code.

As a customs officer and as a university teacher, he has repeatedly visited our headquarters in Brussels, which has allowed him to collect information “on-site”, and to consolidate a network of contacts and friends who have pro- vided him with accurate and valuable information from different levels that the reader will find overturned in these pages.

Small tints and hues reveal a researcher who has not only compiled rigorous information, but who has analyzed it methodically, and through the lens of an observer who has been in the operational field or, as it is usually said, in the trench. No one better than a godson of the House, to study it, apprehend it, and display it.

It is enriching the reading of the historical facts linked to the genesis of the Institution, its first moments, its first conformation, the embryonic development of its structure, its first press release, small details that traced the contours of the today mature and robust organism.

The author’s teaching capacities are shown in how he introduces the struc- ture and operation of the Organization, a very arduous topic, that he presents with diagrams and the right dose of theoretical content which aids understand- ing, in particular, of the aspects related to human resources and the adminis- tration of its budget.

Separate paragraph deserves the approach of the relations of the organiza- tion with other international organisms, where the author abounds in detailsthat allow understanding the enormous task that, in the representation of the customs of the world, carries out the WCO before the international community.

In this line of interrelations, the author has dedicated a chapter to analyzing the relationship between the WCO and one of its strategic allies, the private sector, and, in particular, customs brokers.

The numerous normative instruments that the Organization uses on a daily basis in the performance of its functions have been grouped and analyzed understandably and highlighting their relevant, specific, and differentiating aspects.

The customs technique is also present in the approach of the aspects relat- ed to the Tariff Classification, the Customs Valuation, and the Origin of goods, highly specialized topics that identify the customs community.

The fight against customs fraud as well as issues related to the facilitation of international trade are harmoniously treated from the perspective that both are part of a delicate balance of forces that must enable the flow of goods and the development of legitimate trade.

It is highlighted that strengthening the capacities of customs officers is es- sential to perfect their respective profiles according to their competences, guaranteeing continuous, updated and integrity-based training that favors an inclusive approach, greater cooperation with other customs, with the private sector and with other intergovernmental organizations, as well as the achieve- ment of sustainable development goals.

In this regard, I must remember that motivating leadership, collective deci- sion-making, transparency of information for its members and strategic part- ners, consensus on common interests, inclusion in the development and exe- cution of programs, the effectiveness and efficiency in the use of its resources, instruments and tools and clear accountability not only to Members but also to their donors, constitute the highest world-class standards implemented by the WCO and duly outlined in the work.

On the other hand, the evolution in the adaptation capacity of the WCO to constantly changing environments is verified through the development of the Strategic Plans of the Organization and its regions, as well as the constant up- dating of the Packages that provide Customs a wide range of instruments and tools for the purposes of their application in their respective territories.

At the same time, it is highlighted in the text that the areas of research and performance measurement have become essential, together with digital de- velopment and data governance, in order to strengthen risk management and anticipation strategies of customs administrations around the world in its efforts to achieve excellence.

The current cross-border trade environment requires thinking about a com- prehensive, visionary customs management, aware of the different realities and needs at the local, regional and global level, with special emphasis on strategic management, communication and collaboration, both nationally and internationally, and the use of innovation to mitigate risks, facilitate trade, en- sure fair collection and protection of society, fight against transnational coun- terfeiting, terrorism and crime, while increasing chain security levels of supply as well as promoting sustainable initiatives for the care of our planet. His explo- ration in the work may constitute a point of reflection in this regard.

Likewise, we must be aware that we are entering a new industrial era in which a series of innovations based on information technology and the Internet could have significant repercussions on production processes and on the way in- ternational trade develops. The “Internet of Things”, artificial intelligence, 3D printing, blockchains, and other technologies, create new challenges for the Institution.

These dizzying and disruptive changes are analyzed in the final section of the volume, in the chapter dedicated to the WCO Future Agenda, where we are allowed to see the impact that these new technologies will have on the evolution of customs activity. Advantages and disadvantages, risks, and op- portunities are duly examined and presented.

The text presented in this brief prologue constitutes the culmination of an enormous effort to publicize the trajectory of an International Organization based on cooperation and multilateralism, which permanently strives for the common good and development of its member administrations, providing them the tools and technical assistance they may need

Mtro. RICARDO TREVIÑO CHAPA
(MBA) DEPUTY SECRETARY
GENERAL WORLD CUSTOMS ORGANIZATION