ROCB Organises A Regional Workshop On "Green Customs" In Cooperation With The Customs Training Institute In Riyadh
Event held under the patronage of the General Administration of Customs in Abu Dhabi
Under the patronage of the Department of Finance- the General Administration of Customs in Abu Dhabi, the Regional Office for Capacity Building (ROCB) organised a regional workshop on ‘Green Customs’ in collaboration with the Customs Training Institute in Riyadh for 36 specialists from regional and local administrations. The workshop was held in Abu Dhabi with the purpose of shedding light on the importance of ‘Green Customs’ concepts and the role of the local and regional Custom’s Administrations in the application and compliance of its initiatives and agreements.
This initiative follows the efforts of the General Administration of Customs in Abu Dhabi in applying the best practices and international standards adopted by the World Customs Organization. It also falls in line with the initiatives of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) that were launched in June 2003 in cooperation with Interpol and United Nations Offices on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). These initiatives reflect a number of international agreements that regulate the proper procedures for transporting hazardous chemicals and radioactive waste.
The workshop was commenced by Abu Bakr Al-Fahim, Director of Training and Capacity Building Division at the General Administration of Customs in Abu Dhabi. Al Fahim welcomed the attendees and participants and stressed on the importance of joint cooperation in promoting the ‘Green Customs’ concept in local and regional legislations.
The workshop was followed by a lecture presented by Dr. Mohammed Ateeq Al Dosari who highlighted the main concepts of ‘Green Customs’, in addition to the messages, initiatives and values of its regional training programmes.
Al Dosari explained the various terminologies relating to the training programme, including the identification of ‘sustainable development’, and its role in providing productive and socio-economic conservation of natural resources and growth solutions. These will work towards ensuring that citizens becomes well-equipped in this concept and become active participants in decision making processes relating to this issue in their different fields.
Moreover, Al Dosari discussed a number of international conventions and treaties concerning the environment, such as: the Chemical Weapon Convention, the Rotterdam Convention, CITES Convention, the Basel and Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer, in addition to discussing the Montreal Protocol on substances that deplete the ozone layer and its amendments.
Al Dosari went on to present a series of important recommendations that contribute to reducing negative effects of chemicals and best practices for environmental conservation. This can be done through the development of operational plans for all agreements on Green Customs and through the restriction of hazardous substances in the transfer of waste, pesticides, and the protection of creatures.
Al Dosari pointed out the importance of localizing mechanisms to monitor and report trafficking of imported and exported chemicals by also paying attention to alternative techniques that help protect the ozone layer. He also stressed on the importance of maintaining the efforts first initiated by the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (CCASG).
Salem Al Rumaithi, Executive Director of the Technical Affairs of General Administration of Customs, concluded the workshop by honoring Dr. Al Dosari and distributed certificates to twelve participants and praised the coordination efforts by Abdul Majeed Bin Saleh Bin Abdulaziz Al- Hammad, Coordinator of the Saudi Customs ROCB.
It is worthy to mention that ROCB in Abu Dhabi was established after the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the World Customs Organisation, the Federal Customs Authority and the Department of Finance- General Administration of Customs in January 2010. The Office began official operations in March of the same year.
Emirate: Abu Dhabi
Date: Dec 6, 2012
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