In November 2022, intended U.S. candidate for the WCO Secretary General Ian Saunders held a number of engagements in Lima, Peru. The trip offered a glimpse into Customs-business partnership in action.
Together with U.S. Ambassador Lisa Kenna, Saunders engaged with American Chamber of Commerce leaders in Lima. This engagement allowed him the opportunity to hear directly from traders about the economic environment in the region and their specific challenges and opportunities.
While in Lima, he moderated a panel at the BASC, or Business Alliance for Secure Commerce, World Congress titled Digital innovation and facilitation in the logistics chain. He and his speakers from Oracle and RANSA focused on experiences in digitizing operations in the context of the pandemic, sharing lessons learned, and offering perspectives for other companies engaged in global logistics.
On the margins of the meeting, he engaged with a number of BASC members who bear witness to the opportunities presented by Customs-business partnership every day. “The WCO SAFE Framework of Standards is a critical trade facilitation and security tool. The strong showing of engaged stakeholders at this Congress demonstrates its continued value after 15 years,” Saunders said.
Saunders also took advantage of the opportunity to hold bilateral meetings with some Customs directors general and other officials from the region and learn more about their challenges and needs. He looks forward to holding additional such listening sessions throughout his campaign.