Editing World Customs Organization (section)

{{Short description|Intergovernmental organization}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{primary sources|date=March 2012}}
{{Infobox organization
| name                     = World Customs Organization
| image                    = Logo of the World Customs Organization.png
| alt                      = <!-- alt text; see [[WP:ALT]] -->
| Now and then             = 
| map                      = <!-- optional -->
| msize                    = <!-- map size, optional, default 250px -->
| malt                     = <!-- map alt text -->
| mcaption                 = <!-- optional -->
| map2                     = 
| abbreviation             = WCO
| motto                    = 
| successor                = 
| formation                = {{Start date and age|1953|01|26|df=y}}<ref name=oma/>
| extinction               = <!-- date of extinction, optional -->
| type                     = [[Intergovernmental organization]]
| status                   = <!-- ad hoc, treaty, foundation, etc -->
| purpose                  = <!-- focus as e.g. humanitarian, peacekeeping, etc -->
| headquarters             = 
| location                 = [[Brussels]], [[Belgium]]
| coords                   = <!-- Coordinates of location using a coordinates template -->
| region_served            = 
| membership               = [[Member states of the World Customs Organization|186 customs administrations]]
| language                 = English and French
| general                  = [[Ian Saunders (public official)|Ian Saunders]] (January 2024 - present)
| leader_title             = <!-- position title for the leader of the org -->
| leader_name              = <!-- name of leader -->
| leader_title2            = 
| leader_name2             = 
| leader_title3            = 
| leader_name3             = 
| leader_title4            = 
| leader_name4             = 
| key_people               = 
| main_organ               = <!-- gral. assembly, board of directors, etc -->
| parent_organization      = <!-- if one -->
| affiliations             = <!-- if any -->
| budget                   = 
| num_staff                = 
| num_volunteers           = 
| website                  = {{URL|http://www.wcoomd.org}}
}}
[[Image:Building WCO.jpg|thumb|400px|right|Headquarters building]]

The '''World Customs Organization''' ('''WCO''') is an [[intergovernmental organization]] headquartered in [[Brussels]], Belgium. Notable projects include its collaboration with the WTO on trade facilitation and the implementation of the SAFE Framework of Standards to secure global supply chains. The WCO works on [[customs]]-related matters including the development of international conventions, instruments, and tools on topics such as commodity classification, valuation, rules of origin, collection of customs revenue, [[supply chain security]], international [[trade facilitation]], customs enforcement activities, combating [[counterfeiting]] in support of [[intellectual property rights]] (IPR), [[Prohibition of drugs|illegal drug enforcement]], combating counterfeiting of [[Medication|medicinal drugs]],<ref>{{Cite news |title=On the trail of fake medicine smugglers |last=Gelbart |first=Hannah |website=BBC News |date=16 September 2021 |url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-africa-58577421 }}</ref> illegal weapons trading, integrity promotion, and delivering sustainable [[capacity building]] to assist with customs reforms and modernization. The WCO maintains the international [[Harmonized System]] (HS) goods nomenclature, and administers the technical aspects of the [[World Trade Organization]] (WTO) [[Customs valuation#Agreement on Implementation of Article VII of GATT|Agreements on Customs Valuation]] and [[Rules of Origin]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=La OMC y la Organización Mundial de Aduanas (OMA) |trans-title=The OMC and the World Customs Organization (WCO) |website=WTO |publisher=Organización Mundial de Comercio |access-date=16 September 2021 |url= https://www.wto.org/spanish/thewto_s/coher_s/wto_wco_s.htm |language=es <!--author & date not stated-->}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Organización Mundial de Aduana (OMA) – Servicio Nacional de Aduana del Ecuador|url=https://www.aduana.gob.ec/organizacion-mundial-de-aduana-oma/|access-date=2020-11-18|language=es}}</ref> The WCO oversees the implementation of new technologies, artificial intelligence, to improve the efficiency of customs operations. Furthermore, the WCO is involved in addressing emerging issues, such as the digitalization of customs systems.<ref name=":02">{{Cite book |last=Allende |first=J. |title=World Customs Organization |date=2022 |publisher=Springer International Publishing}}</ref>