The 23rd Regional Contact Points (RCP) and Regional Steering Group (RSG) Meetings were held on 21 – 24 October 2013 at the Berjaya Times Square Hotel, Kuala Lumpur. Following the tradition of the WCO Asia Pacific region, Malaysia as the incoming WCO Vice-Chair for the Asia Pacific Region had the privilege of hosting these two important events which provided good platforms for WCO Members in the Asia Pacific region to discuss and exchange ideas on issues of significance interest to the region.
The 23rd Regional Steering Group (RSG) meeting was held on 21 October 2013 and attended by delegates from Australia, China, Hong Kong China, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Thailand and New Zealand. Representatives from the Asia Pacific Regional Intelligence Office (RILO A/P) and Asia Pacific Regional Office of Capacity Building (ROCB A/P) attended the meeting as permanent observers. The meeting was chaired by Ms. Teresa Conolan, Australian Customs and Border Protection Services (ACBPS) and discussed issues concerning the Regional Strategic Plan 2014–16, Emerging Strategic Issues, Regional Customs Laboratory and the ROCB A/P Terms of Reference.
Delegates from Australia, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong China, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Macao China, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam attended the 23rd Asia Pacific Regional Contact Points (RCP) meeting which was held on 22 – 24 October 2013. Representatives from the WCO, Asia Pacific Regional Intelligence Office (RILO A/P) and Asia Pacific Regional Office of Capacity Building (ROCB A/P) also attended the meeting as observers. The meeting was opened by the Honourable Dato’ Hj. Matrang bin Suhaili, Deputy Director General of Customs (Enforcement & Compliance).
The Director of Corporate Planning Division, Dato’ Ab. Hamid bin Salleh co-chaired the meeting with Ms. Teresa Conolan from the Australian Customs and Border Protection Services (ACBPS). The meeting discussed several WCO and regional issues, amongst others, includes; Regional Membership of the WCO Committees (2013 – 2014), WCO Policy Matters, Regional Strategic Plan (RSP) 2102 – 2014, Regional Customs Laboratory and the ROCB Terms of Reference.