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* Atleast Project Title is Required.
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Project No. |
SCCP_201_2023T
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Project Title |
Workshop on Technological Solutions for Green Customs in the Asia-Pacific Region
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Project Status |
Project in Implementation
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Publication (if any) |
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Fund Account |
TILF Special Account
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Sub-fund |
None
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Project Year |
2023
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Project Session |
Session 2
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APEC Funding |
72,000
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Co-funding Amount |
57,328
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Total Project Value |
129,328
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Sponsoring Forum |
Sub-Committee on Customs Procedures (SCCP)
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Topics |
Customs; Environment; Fisheries; Illegal Logging
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Committee |
Committee on Trade and Investment (CTI)
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Other Fora Involved |
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Other Non-APEC Stakeholders Involved |
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Proposing Economy(ies) |
Peru
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Co-Sponsoring Economies |
Australia; Chile; New Zealand; United States; Viet Nam
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Expected Start Date |
01/03/2024
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Expected Completion Date |
31/01/2025
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Project Proponent Name 1 |
Diana TORRES
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Job Title 1 |
Specialist 2
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Organization 1 |
National Superintendency of Customs and Tax Administration (SUNAT)
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Postal Address 1 |
Not Applicable
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Telephone 1 |
+51964430934
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Fax 1 |
Not Applicable
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Email 1 |
dtorresc@sunat.gob.pe
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Project Proponent Name 2 |
Gustavo Romero
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Job Title 2 |
Specialist 5
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Organization 2 |
National Superintendency of Customs and Tax Administration (SUNAT)
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Postal Address 2 |
Not Applicable
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Telephone 2 |
+51999341138
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Fax 2 |
Not Applicable
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Email 2 |
gromero@sunat.gob.pe
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Declaration |
Diana TORRES and Gustavo ROMERO
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Project Summary |
As part of a Green Customs approach, Customs endeavors to confirm compliance of Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) on international trade operations, in addition to combating illegal trade of other goods that negatively impact the environment. To identify these goods and assess if they comply with regulations that Customs is responsible for enforcing, it requires support of specialized technological solutions developed by the academia, international organizations, NGOs, and other suppliers. In this context, the project will carry out a research and a workshop at SOM3 2024, bringing together officials of the Customs of the region and the aforementioned actors, in order to promote the implementation and application of technological solutions for the control of illegal trade goods related to the Basel Convention, Montreal Protocol, Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), as well as wood, wildlife and hydrobiological products.
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Relevance |
Region The UN Environment Programme study: "The State of Knowledge of Crimes that have Serious Impacts on the Environment" (2018) identifies the five most prevalent areas of environmental crime globally: Wildlife crime; Illegal logging of timber; Illegal fishing; Pollution and related offences (illegal dumps and waste trade, waste trafficking, illegal production and consumption of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) and other ozone-depleting substances); Illegal mining (particularly mercury contamination from artisanal gold mining).
Delving into the negative impact of these crimes, the "Global Report on Wildlife and Forest Crime 2020" prepared by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) emphasizes the threat that species trafficking poses to nature and biodiversity on the planet, in addition to the potential risk of transmission of zoonotic diseases (pathogens spread from animals to humans), estimating that it increases between 5% to 7% annually. On the other hand, as an example of the negative impact of the illegal trade in hydrobiological products, a study by Simon Fraser University in Canada published in 2021 in the journal Nature, estimated that between 1970 and 2018 the populations of 18 species of sharks and rays were reduced by 70%. Trade of these goods, moreover, is centers in the Asia Pacific region (86% of shark fin exports and 99% of imports, according to the FAO Report "State of the global market for Shark products" 2015). To contribute to the fight against illegal trade in goods that negatively impact the environment, customs in the region need to cooperate with academia, international organizations, specialized NGOs, technology providers, and other government agencies, and it is essential that they have laboratories and technological tools that enable them to identify infringing goods within their operational scope.
Eligibility and Fund Priorities
This project requests partial funding from the Trade and Investment Liberalisation and Facilitation Account (TILF). Seeking to enhance the capacities of Customs Administrations and incorporate innovative technological solutions, this project will help facilitate the following areas listed in the Osaka Action Agenda: (2) Non-tariff measures: the implementation of technological solutions will avoid the incorrect imposition of prohibitions or restrictions related to environmental conventions; and (6) Customs procedures: the introduction of technology evaluated in this project as a productivity tool will help simplify and standardize procedures for the control of environmental goods and increase the efficiency of Custom’s risk management.
Capacity Building The project seeks to carry out a preliminary investigation on best operational practices and technological solutions applicable in the identification of goods subject to Multilateral Environmental Conventions. The results will be shared and discussed in a workshop, which will also serve as means to establish contacts for future collaboration between Customs, other Agencies, NGOs and the academia. In this sense, considering Appendix K of the Guidebook on APEC Projects, version 16, it will help achieve the objective of "supporting sustainable development and equitable development in the Asia-Pacific region". It will also comply with the operational guidelines of the Guidebook referring to "Internal and regional replicability" and "Innovation", to the extent that the Workshop and the Final Report will help the Customs of the region to replicate internal training events and deepen contacts with international entities, NGOs and the academia. The results of the research and the workshop will be part of the report, which will also include a set of best practices and voluntary recommendations.
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Objectives |
The objective of this project is to improve the capacities of Customs Administrations of the Asia-Pacific region in the identification and control of illegal trade of goods related to the Basel Convention, Montreal Protocol, CITES, as well as wood, wildlife and hydrobiological products, with a focus on first-line controls assisted by Customs Laboratories, promoting collaboration and technical assistance from the academia, international organizations, NGOs, and other providers, as well as cross-fora cooperation in APEC. To this effect, a research will be conducted and a workshop will be held.
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Alignment |
APEC
This project is related to the economic engine "Strong, balanced, secure and sustainable growth" of the Aotearoa Plan of Action and the objective "Promote economic policies, cooperation and growth, which will support global efforts to comprehensively address all environmental challenges, including climate change, extreme weather and natural disasters, to achieve a sustainable planet."
It also contributes to the fulfillment of the collective action to work towards the sustainable management of agricultural, forestry and marine resources and fisheries, including the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. In addition, it is in line with the "Bangkok Goals on Bio-Circular-Green (BCG) Economy" , specifically with the target related to environment and natural resources which promotes environmental conservation, sustainable use and management of natural resources, as well as halting and reversing biodiversity loss for this case, specifically, through the effort to guarantee diversity and inclusion to improve APEC efforts in the maintenance, conservation, management and protection of the environment and natural resources.
Forum
This project is aligned with priorities 4 and 5 of the SCCP Strategic Plan 2022-2025: -Priority 4: The Workshop and the report to be prepared will explore the use of new technologies and innovative solutions to improve the effectiveness of customs control of trade in goods that negatively impact the environment. -Priority 5: These activities will promote capacity building of customs personnel in charge of the control of these goods, especially of Customs laboratories.
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TILF/ASF Justification |
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Beneficiaries and Outputs |
Output 1 - Research Paper on Identification of Technological Solutions
An exhaustive identification of the technological solutions that exist at a global level will be carried out, through a desk research and open sources, reinforced by interviews and meetings with experts in the target commodities addressed by this project: Basel Convention, Montreal Protocol, CITES, as well as wood, wildlife and hydrobiological products; and making use of a network of contacts at a domestic and international level, in which customs administrations can also rely on for the identification and control of goods that have a negative impact on the environment. These technological solutions are found in the world but in an isolated way or not landed in the customs field, so we will identify and select those that are characterized by their practical and fast use, according to the needs of customs administrations, and then be reflected in a research paper. At the same time, this research document has the purpose of initiating and/or strengthening specialized cooperation links with the Academia, international organizations, NGOs, and other suppliers, as well as with other APEC forums that are linked to Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs), CITES, as well as timber, wildlife and hydrobiological products. The activities to consolidate this document will begin once the BMC has approved the project for implementation and it is planned to share the Research Paper with SCCP members in April 2024, which will contain information minimum of 10 pages (excluding annexes) segmented into: Introduction, Methods, List of identified technologies and suppliers, Conclusions, and the Annex with the list of sources and experts consulted; all the development will be done virtually. Finally, this document will be included in the Project Summary Report.
Output 2 - Workshop
A two-day (8 hours per day) in-person workshop will be held in Peru in August 2024, where the best technological solutions identified during the development of the research paper will be presented to relevant personnel from customs administrations in the Asia-Pacific region.
The workshop will be a tailor-made two-day program where the identified technological solutions for the control of goods that negatively impact the environment will be presented. The workshop will include four to seven workshop sessions led by experts in the target commodities addressed by this project. The first day of the workshop is scheduled to include expert presentations, case studies, panels and discussions on the importance of each of the target commodities on which research has been conducted, the role of customs administrations in the identification and control of goods that impact the environment, the development and evolution of the technological tools identified, the importance of customs laboratories as support for front-line customs personnel, and finally, the challenges for customs administrations in accessing new technologies and applying them for the future. For the second day, two to three blocks are planned that will include practical demonstrations of the identified technologies, which can be exhibited physically at the event venue and/or through LED screens; after that, through working tables, there will be a space that will allow participants to receive a wrap up, discussion on the recommendations and insights on how the Workshop contribute to their role in their economy; and, finally, the field visit to be held after lunch. In parallel, the workshop will also serve as a platform for networking between stakeholders from member economies and technology developers and/or applicators. Regarding the field visit, a visit will be made to the Laboratory of the Customs Administration of Peru, which is advanced in terms of equipment and infrastructure and is considered a Regional Customs Laboratory of the World Customs Organization (WCO). The purpose of the field visit is to show the evolution of Customs laboratories in the field of environmental protection and the fundamental support they provide in the facilitation of legitimate foreign trade. It is also planned to use the Laboratory of the Peruvian Customs Administration to install technology that, due to its nature, can not be shown in the facilities where the event will be held, giving attendees the opportunity to learn about all the technologies that can provide effective support to Customs administrations according to the research carried out. Speakers and panelists are expected to be scientists, researchers and/or applicators of the identified technological solutions. Participants are required to complete and return an Evaluation Form by the end of the workshop.
Output 3 - Project Summary Report
A project summary report will be prepared that will reflect the results of the workshop, as well as the motivated discussions, to finally provide recommendations on next steps. This report will be sent to all participants by e-mail and posted on the APEC website for all economies to access as a source for consultation and implementation. Inputs from participants will be carefully compiled and considered by the project supervisory team to guide future capacity building activities. This Project Summary Report will contain substantial information, minimum of 30 pages (excluding annexes), with the following structure: Table of Contents, Executive Summary, Introduction, Methods, Workshop, Results, Recommendations, Conclusions and Annex; therefore, it is expected to be an APEC Publication. The research paper will be part of this final deliverable.
Outcomes 1) The key result of this project will be to improve the capacity of customs administrations in the Asia-Pacific region to identify and control goods that negatively affect the environment. The technological solutions that will be provided will enable them to facilitate legitimate trade and at the same time prevent illegal trade in goods related to the Basel Convention, Montreal Protocol, CITES, as well as timber, wildlife and hydrobiological products. It is expected that there will be an increase in the number of cases reported by customs administrations in the region through the WCO CEN platform.
2) Customs laboratories, which provide assistance in front-line customs controls, will benefit. The work of Customs Laboratories has evolved, taking on greater responsibilities in several areas, one of them being environmental protection, and they should therefore be equipped with technology that will enable them to be properly prepared for rapid and accurate analysis. Customs laboratories are expected to acquire more technological equipment to identify the goods targeted by this project.
3) The project will strengthen international relations between Customs Administrations of APEC member economies, while strengthening international cooperation through technical assistance from the academia, international organizations, NGOs, and other providers, as well as cooperation between APEC fora. Environmental problems are transboundary in nature and have global resonance, and must be effectively addressed through a 360-degree approach based on affordable technological solutions for the identification and control of international trade in goods that negatively affect the environment. This will be reflected in closer coordination through mailings and formal documents between customs administrations and workshop participants.
Beneficiaries The main beneficiaries of the project are customs officials in charge of enforcing Multilateral Environmental Agreements in front-line controls, who will have at their disposal technological solutions that will enable them to make an accurate decision during the evaluation of goods that have a negative impact on the environment. Some of these technological solutions will require the necessary elements in an appropriate space for their proper functioning, so Customs Laboratories will also benefit.
Multilateral Environmental Agreements are usually managed by more than one governmental institution, so the identification of technological solutions will also benefit the relevant institutions of APEC economies.
The main participants in the project would be: - Academia: There are research areas in Institutes and Universities with a high level of research quality. - NGOs: These organizations have important funding for the achievement of their objectives, so the participation of NGOs is important to address technological solutions to which they have access and can share, while at the same time they feed back in practice with the identification of problems for their implementation and propose solutions. - International Organizations: The purpose of various international organizations is to cooperate with economies by providing the necessary support to improve their processes, thus the participation of organizations is necessary due to their commitment and experience in the target commodity addressed by this project. - Other APEC Fora: The participation of representatives from other APEC fora is valuable as they will bring to the project their experiences in terms of strategy, approach and internal coordination mechanism, which will allow for growth between fora. - Suppliers: Other participants would be representatives from the private sector, who can share their effective best practices.
Suitable personnel involved in environmental technology solutions, not only men but also women, will be invited from both the public and private sectors.
Secondary beneficiaries will be international organisations with expertise in the project's target commodities, which will have the opportunity to improve the tools at their disposal through a better understanding of the similarities and differences between the economies.
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Dissemination |
The main target audience of this project is customs officials and it is planned to disseminate the results, in particular, through the production of a final summary report, which will include the agenda, presentation materials and a biographical summary of the expert speakers at the workshop. The results of this project will be published in electronic format on the APEC website, as an APEC Publication, for reasons of accessibility, preservation and cost savings. It is not intended to sell the results of the Project. Rather, it is recommended that APEC member economies feel free to publish the results on their respective websites or any other effective means of internal dissemination they may have.
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Gender |
Please see Project Proposal posted in Supporting Documents folder.
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Work Plan |
Please see Project Proposal posted in Supporting Documents folder.
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Risks |
Please see Project Proposal posted in Supporting Documents folder.
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Monitoring and Evaluation |
Please see Project Proposal posted in Supporting Documents folder.
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Linkages |
The research prior to the workshop will consult with FAO, APEC USP, INTERPOL and WCO. On specific technological solutions will be consulted with specialized NGOs and universities that have experts and recent publications. These solutions could also be found in other APEC forums such as the one to which EGILAT belongs.
The design of the Research Paper will be coordinated with the co-sponsors.
At the cross-fora level, it will coordinate with the EGILAT and those responsible for implementing the APEC Roadmap.
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Sustainability |
Following the conclusion of the workshop, a series of next steps are planned to ensure that the event continues to have a lasting and sustainable impact. These include encouraging the dissemination of the materials collected to a wider range of practitioners in the economies; promoting close collaboration between international agencies as well as the use of the Customs Contact Point Network; timely involvement of the project supervisory team in project-related activities, among others.
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Project Overseers |
Ms. Diana Torres has 10 years of career in Customs, she has gained significant expertise in combating international illegal trafficking of wildlife, logging, mining, hydrobiological, CITES, and other merchandise that has serious impacts on the environment.
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Cost Efficiency |
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Drawdown Timetable |
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Direct Labour |
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Waivers |
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Are there any supporting document attached? |
Yes
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Attachments
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