Ricardo Treviño Chapa
Deputy Secretary General of the World Customs Organization
WCO needs to accelerate its inclusion to the 21st Century as a modern, agile and leading international organization. Modernizing our decision-making processes, strengthening transparency and accountability together with fostering Member’s trust in our Organization is key to raise WCO’s influence and Customs role in the current global environment.
We are shaping the future of Customs
WCO needs the right leadership, vision and strategic approach to assist its Members in the process of their digital transformation initiatives, and work together to devise ways of information sharing to successfully contribute to its objectives of trade facilitation, protection of society, and fair revenue collection.
Connect
The future of WCO
International Organizations are facing challenging times. The Covid- 19 Pandemic, geo-political tensions and the temptation to regionalize trade are among the recent events that threaten multilateralism. Governments, business and International Organizations, including WCO, are looking to overcome challenges. Solutions based on international cooperation need to be agreed.
International organizations need to contribute to the global objective of equal growth and security. This also applies to WCO and this is reflected in our vision statement: “Bringing Customs together for a safer and more prosperous world.”.
As the global customs family that we are, we need to acknowledge and perform our role in multilateralism and trade.
Leadership
Bringing WCO to modern times
During my second term I will promote the strategic plan’s effective implementation with special attention to the focus areas: Technology. Data analytics and digitalization, Greening of Customs and Modernization of WCO.
I will work to promote innovation within the WCO through the modernization of our procedures, moving from a reactive approach to a proactive one.
Innovation
Strengthening international cooperation
I will keep promoting transparency and accountability in the Organization’s decision-making processes.
Trust is the corner stone for building better and effective international cooperation.
Through the implementation of transparent procedures and decisions, Members and Secretariat will strengthen their trust and mutual cooperation.
Transparency
Creating impact
Turning words into actions and actions into concrete deliverables is the way to move ahead. A pragmatic approach with clear objectives and a monitoring tool to promote accountability is the best way to secure positive results.
To raise the visibility of WCO and the role of customs we need to create value. In order to measure the impact of our actions, I will continue leading the work on the development of a performance measurement mechanism.
Results
A Member’s driven organization
Since I started my work as Deputy Secretary General I have actively promoted member’s engagement and inclusiveness. Together we have worked on defining the new Strategic Plan 2022-2025. WCO needs to continue responding to Members needs and listening to the different regional realities that Members face. Diversity is our strength and through coordination and collaboration we need to find and focus on our common challenges and objectives.
Inclusiveness
About Ricardo
Ricardo Treviño was born in 1978, in Monterrey, Nuevo León, north of Mexico. He graduated in Financial Administration in 2001 from the Instituto Tecnológico de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, Mexico and earned a Master’s degree in Administration with a major in International Finance from the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom in 2005.
His work at the WCO
In 2018, Ricardo Treviño assumed the post of Deputy Secretary-General of the World Customs Organization. Since then, he has driven an important change in the Organization through implementation of the Strategic Plan 2019-2022 which, for the first time, took into consideration input from the WCO’s 183 Members.
Bulding on this achievement, he has enhanced inclusiveness through regional consultations to develop a comprehensive and global Environmental Scan and the definition of the new Strategic Plan 2022-2025. The new strategy follows an innovative approach by considering customs core business as the overarching priority and by identifying three focus areas: 1) technology, data and digitalization 2) Green Customs and 3) WCO Governance and accountability
Accelerating WCO’s modernization
Customs administrations around the world face significant challenges: On the one hand, there is an increasing demand for facilitating trade to address new business requirements, and to further support international trade as a key driver of economic development. On the other hand, the global impact of transnational crime, including terrorism, has risen to unprecedented levels and has evolved in its shapes, therefore pressing to respond effectively by securing the global supply chain and protecting the society.
Customs role in facilitating legal trade and as first line of defence has been highlighted by the effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic, stressing the need to modernize customs regulations and standards, digitalize procedures and move towards a more effective risk management based institutions.
The WCO has a vital role to play by driving global efforts to address current and new challenges for Customs. It must effectively help its Members to opportunely adapt to rapidly changing environments and to acquire the capacity to take global responsibility in facing new challenges, according to their own reality, conditions and needs.
A “business as usual” model is not an option for an organization that strives to face constantly evolving challenges. An ambitious, pragmatic, and innovative approach is necessary to unlock the WCO’s potential, and I have the experience, knowledge and determination to bring a perspective from someone who has led a Customs Administration and has now gathered knowledge and experience from within the Organization to make a significant contribution to that purpose.
Latest Publications
Implementing an innovation strategy in WCO; responding to disruptive events
Innovation is how organisations develop solutions to meet new challenges. The task involves recombining existing and new elements and capabilities to serve a new objective, frequently in new and evolving contexts. While recognising and acknowledging the work done by...
The Importance of updating WCO’s Strategic Plan
It is essential that any organization, whether public or private, or national or international owns a Strategic Plan. The Strategic Plan is the roadmap for achieving the objectives set by the organization. When organizations do not have a strategy, or have not updated...
From reactivity to proactivity, for a safer and more prosperous world
Since December 2019, when the first cases where identified, the global coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has spread with dramatic consequences for people, governments, and companies. Although we will only be able to make a preliminary assessment of its full consequences...