Dennis Ndonga

This research book presents the papers, report and outcomes of the 3 WCO ESA Regional Research Conference which was held on the 23 and 24 November 2021. It was co-organized by the ROCB and WCO Regional Training Centre (RTC) Mauritius with the support of WCO Regional Training Centre (RTC) Kenya and the WCO ESA Project II funded by the Government of Finland. The conference was attended by more than 150 participants from across the world and held virtually as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants included researchers and officials from various member customs administrations in the East and Southern Africa Region, WCO ESA Regional Training Centres (RTCs), the WCO, the African Union, the private sector, academia, and other cooperating partners. The conference was also graced by the prescence of a high level delegation including: The Minister of Land Transport and Light Rail & Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade, Mauritius, the Honourable Alan Ganoo; and the World Customs Organization Secretary General, Dr. Kunio Mikuriya.

The theme of the conference was “The effects of emerging issues on the role of Customs and Trade’’ in East and Southern Africa, covering: Potential effects of the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) on trade and Customs; Security and development: Challenges and opportunities presented by technologies and emergence of new trade practices and their potential effects on security; Gender Equity, Equality and Diversity: Highlighting opportunities presented in the integration of gender practices and promotion of diversity in Customs and Trade; Enhancing trade facilitation and impact of cross border ecommerce on Customs and International trade; and an overview of digitization and its effect on AfCFTA, Gender and cross- border Trade as well as Trade Facilitation in General. Panel discussions focused on Return to Normalcy & Impact of Virtual Engagements following the COVID-19 pandemic and on the Effect of COVID-19 Pandemic on Revenue Collection. Two keynote addresses were delivered on: “The effect of emerging and ongoing issues on the role of Customs and Trade” and “Enhancing the Movement of Medicines and Medical Equipment in East and Southern African Region Amidst Covid-19 Pandemic.”

The World Customs Organization, East and Southern Africa Region launched the ESA Regional Research Programme in 2013, aiming to build institutional capacity and the body of knowledge in Customs through research. The programme also aims to enhance the region’s capacity to showcase its own research globally.

The 1st WCO ESA Regional Research Conference was hosted by the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority in 2014 in Harare, Zimbabwe, themed “Customs and Trade Facilitation: Building Institutional Capacity and the body of knowledge in Customs through research”. The 2nd conference took place in 2017, hosted by the Regional Training Center (RTC), Kenya. The theme of the conference was “Impacts and Implication of the Trade Facilitation Agreement and the WCO Mercator Programme to the ESA region”.