The activities of the Arab Customs Brokers Conference began last Saturday, May 5, 2018, at the Nile Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Cairo, under the auspices of the Arab Economic Unity Council. The conference’s slogan was “Customs and Clearance Towards a Sustainable Partnership in Protecting the Arab Economy.”
The conference was attended by a group of specialists, ambassadors, and Arab academics, including the Secretary-General of the Arab Economic Unity Council, Ambassador Mohamed Rabie; Mr. Hilal Tawfiq, representing the head of the Egyptian Customs Authority; General Director of Lebanese Customs Badri Daher; General Director of Sudanese Customs Major General Dr. Bashir Al-Taher; Jordanian Customs representative Colonel Hani Al-Attar, Director of the General Director’s Office; Kuwaiti Customs representative Mr. Ibrahim Dashti, Director of Customs Brokers Affairs at Kuwaiti Customs; Head of Trade Agreements and Foreign Trade Sector in Egypt, Saeed Abdullah; General Director of the Lebanese Ministry of Economy, Alia Abbas; President of the Arab Customs Brokers Union, Dr. Mamdouh Al-Rifai; and the Secretary-General of the Arab Customs Brokers Union, Abdullah Mouselly.
Following a welcoming speech by the Union President, the conference—which targets general directors of Arab customs, customs workers, and related agencies such as food and drug safety authorities, standards and metrology bodies, and specialized Arab federations under the Arab Economic Unity Council—discussed exchanging expertise, research, and new initiatives aimed at enhancing customs work efficiency. The conference also presented frameworks and practical models for developing work at customs ports, including approved recommendations and solutions. It also discussed electronic systems and their role in customs clearance.
Joint cooperation agreements were signed between the Union and the customs authorities of Egypt, Lebanon, and Sudan.
The main recommendations of the conference were as follows:
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Activate the content of the agreements signed with Egyptian, Lebanese, and Sudanese customs.
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Begin activating the Arab Customs Portal website due to its many benefits for all parties working in the Arab customs field.
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Complete the study for establishing the Arab Academy for Customs Sciences and start implementing it as soon as possible, informing Arab customs authorities of the study’s results.
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Exchange expertise with officials from Arab customs to strengthen the Union’s activity and overcome all obstacles.
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Consider implementing training courses and transferring expertise from various Arab customs experts to customs brokers in cooperation with the Arab Customs Brokers Union.
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Establish an insurance and social protection umbrella for customs brokers under the Arab Union’s sponsorship.
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Discuss and determine methods to hold the next Arab Conference of the Arab Customs Brokers Union in 2019 with Arab customs directors to issue decisions benefiting customs workers.
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Implement new agreements targeting all Arab countries and international institutions working in the customs field.
On the sidelines of the conference:
Dr. Mamdouh Al-Rifai, President of the Arab Union, stated that the conference is held under challenging conditions facing the Arab world since its inception last year and aims to achieve several Arab and international goals, foremost of which is signing cooperation agreements and protocols with all Arab countries to enable the Union to achieve all its goals without any obstacles.
Ambassador Mohamed Mohamed Al-Rabee, Secretary-General of the Arab Economic Unity Council, said that Egypt is the cradle of Arabism and history that every Arab takes pride in, and all customs and clearance experts seek to benefit our Arab nation by supporting joint economic work.
Al-Rabee added that the Union has become a real platform between the private and public sectors. Given the current conditions in the Arab world, there is a significant imbalance among economic sectors.
He confirmed that some Arab countries suffered setbacks in their economies after the Arab Spring, alongside deteriorating security levels that led to the decline of the Arab economy. He hopes this conference will bring about a qualitative leap in the Arab economy.
May God grant success.
