SITPRO and the Commonwealth Business Council organised a 7th meeting of the Boksburg Group in Dakar, Senegal, from 20-22 February, funded by the Department for International Development (DFID). The meeting was hosted by GAINDE 2000, a firm set up by Senegal's Committee for the Management of Customs Computer System (CGPID) to run Senegal's customs computer systems and develop its successful single window project.
The 7th Boksburg Group meeting taking place in Senegal
More than 50 senior delegates took part in the meeting to discuss how to approach the WTO negotiations on trade facilitation, which are due to conclude by the end of this year. Participants represented customs, other parts of government, and private businesses, from across Africa, particularly from French-speaking West and North Africa, as well as from Latin America and South Asia, some of whom had attended previous Boksburg meetings.
The aim of the meeting, to spread the word on the benefits of trade facilitation to all countries, but especially developing countries, was fully achieved. Participants showed a real depth of understanding and engagement and benefited from sharing their views and experiences in the informal setting that has characterised the Boksburg process. Break out groups examined how technical assistance can be linked to commitments in a WTO agreement, as well as the role of both customs and the private sector in promotion of trade facilitation and customs reform.
A consultation is now taking place with previous participants to determine the next steps for the Boksburg process.
Return to SITPRO News: Issue 56, Spring 2006
