COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
and the United Kingdom. A primary objective of these agreements is to assure overseas investors of the stable investment environment in Hong Kong.
Customs Cooperation
Hong Kong Customs plays an active role in the work of the World Customs Organisation (WCO), which aims to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of customs administrations and facilitate trade by achieving harmony and uniformity of customs procedures among its members and the Sub-committee on Customs Procedures (SCCP) of APEC, which is tasked to simplify and harmonise customs procedures to facilitate cross-border trade in the Asia-Pacific region. As at December, the WCO has a world-wide membership of 162 Customs administrations, and APEC has 21 member economies.
In the WCO forum, the department works closely with the WCO Vice-Chairman representing the Asia-Pacific region on regional matters, and is a co-coordinator of regional activities on enforcement programmes in the areas of security, commercial fraud, smuggling and intelligence, customs-business partnership and integrity.
In the APEC SCCP forum, the department works closely with member economies on trade facilitation work, and is a co-coordinator of SCCP Collective Action Plans on Public Availability of Information, Customs Integrity and Customs-Business Partnership.
To promote counter-terrorism work, the department participates actively in the WCO Task Force on Security and Facilitation of the International Trade Supply Chain and the APEC Counter-Terrorism Task Force.
The department maintains a close liaison with the WCO Regional Intelligence Liaison Office (RILO) in Tokyo. Since Tokyo started hosting the RILO in 1999, the department has seconded two officers to support intelligence analysis and coordination among members in the Asia-Pacific region.
The RILO office will be relocated to Beijing with effect from 2004. The department will continue to provide full support to the project by seconding an officer to the Beijing Office in order to enhance the regional intelligence network by exchanging timely intelligence and offering investigative assistance to regional members.
Recognising the importance of international cooperation with other customs. administrations and law enforcement agencies in combating transnational customs crimes, the department maintains a good working relationship and close liaison with the customs attachés and the representatives of other law enforcement agencies stationed in 12 consular missions in Hong Kong. Through regular bilateral meetings, the department has enhanced mutual cooperation with the Mainland and other customs administrations in building up a strong network for combating transnational customs crimes.
Container Security Initiative
In the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 incident, the US Bureau of Customs and Border Protection proposed the Container Security Initiative (CSI) to address the perceived risks of terrorist attacks associated with ocean-going containers destined for the United States. Under the CSI, the customs authority of a participating foreign port will work with the US Customs officers stationed abroad to identify containers that carry a high risk of being exploited for terrorist attacks. The customs authority of the participating port will scan or inspect the identified containers before the
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