2017 WCO Global Transit Conference
Ms. Ai Wakamiya
Assistant Director, Planning and TICAD Process Division, Africa Department,
Japan International Cooperation Agency

Ai WAKAMIYA is Assistant Director in the Africa Department of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). Since joining JICA, she has served various positions, mainly related to infrastructure development. She has led a research project on the Cross-Border Transport Infrastructure of East Africa which formed the basis for  JICA’s corridor development cooperation in Sub-Saharan Africa. After working in Egypt and Zambia as a representative of the JICA offices, she has engaged in infrastructure research and construction projects for South East Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, and is currently responsible for infrastructure development strategies in Sub-Sahara Africa. Ai holds a bachelor’s degree in Engineering and a master’s degree in Environmental Engineering from Osaka University. She is married and a mother of 2 boys. She actively promotes a parents-friendly work environment at JICA.

 
Ms. Ana Hinojosa
Director of the Compliance and Facilitation Directorate

Director, Compliance and Facilitation

Director Hinojosa assumed her elected post in the Compliance and Facilitation Directorate of the World Customs Organization (WCO), effective January 1, 2016.  She leads the directorate that is responsible assisting Members in implementing effective and efficient controls, ensuring fair and accurate revenue collection, and protecting society by intercepting and suppressing illicit and criminal activities.  The directorate has the twin goal of securing and facilitating legitimate global supply chains through the simplification and harmonization of Customs procedures. 

Prior to her election and transition to her current post, she served nearly 29 years with the United States Custom Service/Customs and Border Protection (CBP). 

She is fluent in English and Spanish, and is currently studying French.

 
0Mr. André Sceia
Information Systems Officer, TIR secretariat, UNECE

Mr. André Sceia
Information system officer
UNECE, Sustainable Transport Division

André Sceia holds a masters in econometrics from the University of Geneva and PhD in environmental economics from Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne.
He has been working for more than 15 years
in UNECE, where he has been managing various projects, inter alia, the eTIR project, which aims at the computerisation of the TIR procedure and, more recently, various related pilot projects . He has also contributed for many years to the work on the WCO data model, in particular on transit.

 
Mr. Andrey Vasilyev
Deputy Executive Secretary For UNECE

Andrey Vasilyev is the Deputy Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), a post he has held since 1 April 2010.  Prior to his appointment as Deputy Executive Secretary, Mr. Vasilyev was Director of UNECE’s Economic Cooperation and Integration Division.

Mr. Vasilyev has almost 30 years of experience with the United Nations. From 2003 to 2006, Mr. Vasilyev was the Director of UNECE’s Technical Cooperation Unit.

Before joining the UNECE Secretariat, he worked as a Senior Programme Officer for the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) in New York which he joined in 1993.

From 2001 until September 2002, Mr. Vasilyev was also the Principal Coordinating Officer in the Secretariat of the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development held in Johannesburg. He joined the United Nations in 1992 as an advisor for the Secretariat of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, which took place in Rio de Janeiro Brazil in June 1992.

Prior to his work for the United Nations he worked for the Permanent Mission of the USSR (Russian Federation) to the United Nations in New York where he was an advisor and negotiator on various economic and environmental issues, from 1987 to April 1992.

A graduate of the Moscow State University, Department of Economics, Mr. Vasilyev joined the Department of International Economic Organisations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the USSR in Moscow in 1983.

 
Ms. Bettina Vogl-Lang
Vice-Chair for the Europe Region and Deputy Director General, Austrian Tax and Customs

2016 - Vice-Chair of the WCO-Council responsible

for the European Region and designated

candidate of the European Region for the

Chair of the WCO-Council 2017/18

 

2007 - Deputy Director General (Management of

Tax and Customs Administration) and

Director of Customs, Ministry of Finance

 

2002 Deputy Director General Customs, Austrian

Ministry of Finance

 

2001 Head of Unit, Customs Policy, Legislation

and International Affairs, Austrian Ministry

of Finance

 

1999 Customs Attaché to the EU and the WCO

Permanent Representation of Austria,

Brussels

 

1997 Deputy Head of Unit, Trade Policy, Austrian

Ministry of Finance

 

1993 Head of Sub-Unit, Preferential Agreements

and Rules of Origin, Austrian Ministry of

Finance

 

1987 Assigned as expert to the Unit for

Preferential Agreements and Rules of Origin,

Austrian Ministry of Finance

 

1983 Assigned to the Main

 
Ms. Bokang R. Mokati-Sunkutu
Senior Trade Facilitation Officer, African Development Bank

Bokang Mokati-Sunkutu joined the African Development Bank in 2013 as a Trade Finance Officer and was later appointed to the position of Trade Facilitation officer.  At the AfDB, Bokang is responsible for the design, development and management of trade facilitation projects and resource mobilization to support trade facilitation projects including technical assistance.  She started her career in customs with Lesotho Revenue Authority before being appointed to lead a regional Customs Reform and Modernisation Programme at the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) Secretariat.  The programme was a partnership between SACU countries and the World Customs Organisation (WCO) under the financial support of Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA). 

 

Bokang is a trade facilitation and border management expert with Masters in Customs Administration, Policy and Law from the University of Muenster and a graduate degree in Economics and Statistics from the National University of Lesotho.  Passionate about promoting gender equality, her specific interest is in advancing practical trade facilitation approaches to empower women in cross border trade.

 
Ms. Brenda Mundia
Capacity Building Directorate
World Customs Organization

Brenda Rachael Phiri Mundia is the Deputy Director for Capacity Building at the World Customs Organisation (WCO).  She is passionate about capacity building as it underpins any customs reform and modernisation initiative.  Before joining the WCO in October 2015,  She worked at the Zambia Revenue Authority under the Customs Services Division for 19 years, where she held various positions with the last one being Assistant Commissioner responsible for international relations and policy coordination.  Her extensive professional exposure cuts across policy and operational areas of customs including trade and customs law, reform and modernisation, regional integration and trade negotiations among others.  During the last three years of her service in Zambia, she represented her country at the WTO TFA negotiations and was a key contributor to the subsequent national needs assessment that resulted in Zambia becoming the first developing WTO Member to submit both its Category B and C notifications.  A lawyer and educationist by training, she is a graduate from the Erasmus Institute of Social Studies, The Hague and the University of Zambia. 

 
Ms. Catherine Muhanguzi
Transit Monitoring Unit, Customs Department
Uganda Revenue Authority

Catherine Rucogoza is a supervisor in Transit Monitoring Unit (TMU) in Uganda revenue authority.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Social studies of Makerere University Kampala (1995 – 1998) and brings together eighteen (18) years’ experience in Customs operations at Uganda Revenue Authority from 1999 to date (2017).

 

she has gained a wealth of Customs operations experience and expertise in the Customs business process, Enforcement & Compliance and grew through the ranks right from  a front line officer to Station/unit  supervisor

 

Catherine is passionate about her work and always wants to make a difference to leave this world a better place than she found it  .she has played a vital role in the transformation initiatives in the customs department of Uganda revenue authority throughout her 18 years of service.

 
Mr. Cenap Asci
Undersecretary of the Ministry of Customs and Trade Turkey

Born in the Province of Aksaray/Turkey in the year 1967, Mr. AŞÇI received his Bachelor of Public Administration degree (B.P.A.) from the Faculty of Political Sciences at the Istanbul University in the year 1988. He further received his BSc. degree from the Department of Management Studies at Boston University in 2004.


Mr. AŞÇI was appointed Assistant Customs Investigator, Customs Investigator and Senior Customs Investigator in 1989, 1993 and 2000, respectively.


He also served as Deputy Head of the Board of Customs Investigators; Head of Department at the Directorate General of Customs; Deputy Director General of Ankara Electricity, Gas and Bus Operations Organization (EGO); Member of the Report Reading Commission of the Board of Investigation at the Ministry of Customs and Trade and as the Director General of Customs. Mr. AŞÇI was subsequently appointed as the Undersecretary of Customs and Trade. 
Mr. AŞCI was appointed the Minister of Customs and Trade on August 28th 2015 at the interim election government of Turkey, and served as Minister until November 24th, 2015.  He was reappointed as Undersecretary of Customs and Trade on November 2015.


Between November 2001- February 2002, he conducted a study visit to the USA to conduct a research on the organizational structure of NAFTA as well as the foreign trade volumes and economic development of the NAFTA member states. In line with his master studies in the USA, he conducted an in-depth research on the corporate structure and combatting methods employed by relevant US organization in charge of the Prevention of the Financing of Terrorism and Money Laundering Offences.    

 

Fluent in English, Mr. Cenap AŞCI is married with three children.

 
Mr. Daniel Broekhuizen
Director, Accounting, Treasury and Tax
Toyota Motor Europe

Daniel Broekhuizen has lead since 2001 Toyota’s European Tax Function-, managed during 2006-2008 period the European Treasury & Insurance Function, lead between 2009 and 2017 the European Internal Audit Function of Toyota Motor Europe (TME) Group Affiliates. As of 2016, he became responsible for the Accounting area including the Center Of Excellence operations in TME Branch office in Poland. In his International Treasury and Tax capacity, he is responsible for the Centers Of Excellence in TME Head Office; 1. Treasury; In House Bank, Payment Factory, Global Netting. 2. Tax: VAT, Customs & Trade, Corporate Tax, Transfer Pricing. Before joining Toyota, Daniel was the European Director of Tax & Treasury in the US Specialty Chemicals Manufacturer Hercules (now Ashland).

 

Daniel has a Bachelor degree in Business Economics including Tax Law, and a Master of Science in Management at Boston University / VUB with elective in International Taxation. Daniel is a former President of the EMEA Chapter of Tax Executives Institute, Inc (TEI), and served on its BOD for several years.

 
Ms. Didem Dirlik Songür
Head of Department for Multilateral Relations
Ministry of Customs and Trade of Republic of Turkey

 

Born in the Province of Istanbul/Turkey in the year 1972, Ms. Didem Dirlik Songür received her Bachelors Degree in International Relations from the Faculty of Political Sciences at the Ankara University in the year 1994. She received her M.A. degree from the Department of European Union/International Relations at Ankara University/Social Science Institute in 1998. She further received her MSc. in European Studies at The London School of Economics and Political Sciences in 1999.


Ms. DİRLİK SONGÜR joined Turkish Customs Administration in December 1995 and appointed as
EU Assistant Expert, EU Expert, Acting Head of Section and Head of Department in 1995, 1999, 2001 and 2011 respectively.

Ms. DİRLİK SONGÜR currently holding the position as Head of Department responsible for Multilateral Relations at the Ministry of Customs and Trade of Republic of Turkey. Her main areas of competence covers International Organizations, Conventions and Projects such as WCO,  UNECE (TIR Convention, eTIR pilot projects, 1982 Convention on Frontier Control of Goods etc.), EU-EFTA Common Transit Convention+NCTS, Silk Road Initiative and Caravanserai Project and customs related other initiatives falling under WTO, Turkic Council, BSEC, ECO, OSCE, SELEC etc.

 

Ms. Didem DİRLİK SONGÜR was elected as a member of the UNECE TIR Executive Board in 2013, served as member and chair in 2015-2016 term of office. She was reelected as a member and chair of the TIR Executive Board in 2017.

She conducted the Silk Road Initiative and Caravanserai Project -Working Group member dealing with the BCPs of the project countries (2011-current). She led the eTIR pilot projects that Turkey conducted. Also, she served as for BSEC Working Group on Customs Matters Country Coordinator-Contact Point (2010-2014), (July 2016-Current).

Native in Turkish, fluent in English, Ms. Didem DİRLİK SONGÜR is married.
 
Ms. Dinara Dairabayeva
Advisor of the Trade Facilitation in Central Asia (TFCA) Program
German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ)

During February 2015 – May 2017 she worked in State Revenue Committee of the Republic of Kazakhstan, until 2015 she worked in a number of national companies in the quasi-public sector, held different positions at Tax Committee of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and also has experience in customs clearance in a broker company.

Since May 2017, she joined the team of the GIZ Trade Facilitation in Central Asia (TFCA) Program.

She is responsible for the implementation of the objectives of the program to promote the improvement of risk management systems in the customs authorities of the countries of Central Asia, as well as to simplify the procedures for the transit of these countries.

She holds a Master’s degree from the Russian Customs Academy in "Management at the customs".

 
Mr. Dmitry Borisovich Zhukov
Head of the Directorate General for Organization of Customs Clearance and Customs Control
FCS of Russia

Dmitry Borisovich Zhukov was born on July 30, 1970 in Obninsk, Kaluga region.

In 1994 he graduated from the Obninsk Institute of Nuclear Power Engineering in the specialty of “applied mathematics”.

In 2005 he graduated from the Russian Customs Academy in the specialty of "customs". In 2010 he graduated from the Russian Academy of Public Administration Under the President of the Russian Federation in the specialty of "Public and Municipal Management".

In customs service since March 1994, he worked at the Obninsk Customs post of the Kaluga Customs in positions from the inspector to the head of the Customs post, head of the Bryansk and Moscow Regional customs, first deputy head of the Directorate General for Organization of Customs Clearance and Customs Control of the FCS of Russia.

In June 2013, he was appointed as Head of the Directorate General for Organization of Customs Clearance and Customs Control of the FCS of Russia.

He supervises the issues of improving transit operations, introducing advanced customs technologies, optimizing the methods of performing customs operations and conducting customs control, creating simplified customs corridors, improving access to electronic format, organizing state interagency information interaction, developing and implementing the Sea Port portal, based on the principles And "single window" mechanisms.

Lieutenant-General of the Customs Service.

He was awarded numerous government and departmental awards.
 
Mr. Erich Kieck
Senior Specialist
World Bank

Erich is a Senior Trade Facilitation Specialist at the World Bank Group.  In this capacity he provides advisory support on Bank TF, border coordination and Customs reform programs.  Erich has served as the Director for Capacity Building at the WCO from 2011 to 2015.  Before joining the WCO he was responsible for Customs legislation, policy and procedures at the South African Revenue Service. Erich holds a master’s degree in international economic law and his professional focus areas include organizational development, regional economic integration and coordinated border management.

 
Mr. Ernani Checcucci
Director of the Capacity Building Directorate
World Customs Organization (WCO)

Mr. Ernani CHECCUCCI is the WCO Director, Capacity Building, elected from for a five year mandate (2016 – 2020).

From 2011 to 2015, Ernani was the Undersecretary of Customs and International Relations for the Brazilian Secretariat of Federal Revenue – RFB. He was directly responsible for major Customs Projects, such as the trade Single Window, business process reengineering in partnership with private sector, enhancement of risk management function through development of National Targeting Center and application of artificial intelligence solutions, implementation of Advanced Passenger Information (API), enhancing anti-smuggling functions and land border controls, and Customs preparations for major international events (2012 Rio+20 UN Conference on Sustainable Development; 2014 FIFA World Cup; 2016 Olympic Games). Under his leadership, Brazilian Customs implemented a number of international standards such as the Istanbul Convention and provisions of the Revised Kyoto Convention.

From January 2005 to April 2011, Mr. CHECCUCCI worked for the World Customs Organizations – WCO, in Brussels, as a Senior Technical Officer. During his experience at WCO, he held the position of Columbus Project Manager and Acting Deputy Director, Capacity Building. His international experience includes diagnostic missions, technical consulting, strategic and project planning in over than 30 countries in the Americas, Africa, Middle East, Europe, Asia and the Pacific. He also took part of joint missions organized by the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the World Trade Organization.

Mr. CHECCUCCI has a degree in engineering. He joined the Brazilian Secretariat of Federal Revenue in July 1995, after passing the examination for the position of Tax Auditor. He started his career within RFB working at ports, airports and border points in the northern region of Brazil. From 2002 to 2005, he covered the positions of Deputy Coordinator-General of Customs Administration and Customs Enforcement Coordinator. He has a wide national and international experience in Customs Operations and Management.

He is 45 years old.

 
Mr. Farid Valiyev
WCO Technical operational advisor on transit, Azerbaijan

Farid Valiyev is a Technical and Operational Advisor in the area of transit, accredited by the World Customs Organization (WCO).

He is the Chief Customs Officer of the General Department of Customs Control of the State Customs Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan since 2015.

In the current position he is specialized, inter alia, in regulatory and operational management of customs transit procedure at national and international levels.

He was elected as the vice chair of the Administrative Committee (AC.2) of the Customs Convention on the International Transport of Goods under cover of TIR Carnets (TIR Convention, 1975) for the year 2017.

In 2010-2015 he worked at the Ministry of Transport of the Republic of Azerbaijan in the position of the Senior Advisor of the International Relations Department.

He was the member of the Bureau of the Inland Transport Committee of United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Europe (UNECE) for the years 2014-2015.

 
Ms. Fekitamoeloa 'Utoikamanu
Under-Secretary-General and High Representative of UN-OHRLLS

The Secretary-General of the United Nations appointed Ms. Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu of Tonga, to the position of High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States on 12 April 2017.  Ms. ‘Utoikamanu was the Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of Tourism of Tonga from January 2017.

 

Ms. ‘Utoikamanu brings with her a wealth of national, regional and international experience at various senior leadership levels and on building consensus among key stakeholders. She was previously Acting Pro-Chancellor and Chair of the Council of the University of the South Pacific (2015), Deputy Pro-Chancellor and Deputy Chair of the Council of the University of the South Pacific (2009-2016), Deputy Director General and Director of Education, Training and Human Development of the Secretariat of Pacific Community (2009-2015), Permanent Representative of the Government of Tonga to the United Nations; Ambassador of the Government of Tonga to: United States of America, Cuba and Venezuela; and High Commissioner to Canada (2005-2009), and Secretary for Foreign Affairs and European Commission’s National Authorizing Officer for Tonga (2002-2005).

 
Mr. Felix Kwame Kwakye
Principal Programme Officer for Customs Procedures, ECOWAS

I had my tertiary education at the University of Ghana, and the University of Lincoln in the United Kingdom. I began my career at the then Ghana Customs Excise and Preventive Service in 1988 and progressively rose through the ranks to the level of Chief Collector before moving on to the ECOWAS Commission in Nigeria as a Customs Specialist. Whilst in the Ghana Customs Service, I occupied several positions and ended up as the Systems Administrator overseeing the clearance of goods at the biggest port in Ghana, the Tema Harbour.

I am currently the Principal Programme Officer- Customs Procedures at the ECOWAS Commission and as part of my responsibilities, I coordinate all Customs programmes and activities undertaken by the ECOWAS Commission in West Africa. I have represented ECOWAS at several regional and international fora in the domain of Customs.

 
0Mr. Felix C. Mutati
Honourable Minister of Finance
Zambia

Felix Mutati was appointed Minister of Finance in September and presented his maiden budget dubbed "Zambia Plus" which was approved in December 2016.

From 2011 into 2016, Felix Mutati was a Member of Parliament in Zambia with special responsibility for scrutinising government performance in the economic affairs committee, and served as an elder of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA). Hon. Mutati has served as cabinet minister for Energy & Water Development (2002-2004) and, subsequently, for Commerce, Trade & Industry (2004-2011) during which tenures he spearheaded national initiatives aimed at poverty alleviation and private sector development, as well as coordinated international efforts to harmonise regional trade and investment.

Hon. Mutati chaired the body of Ministers of Trade of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) during the 2007/08 consolidation of the SADC free trade area and the initiation of the roadmap to establishing a SADC customs union. Also at the regional level, he served as chief negotiator on behalf of the Eastern and Southern African (ESA) region from 2006 to 2011 during which period he played a fundamental role in brokering Economic Partnership Agreements with the European Commission for Trade aimed at enhancing market access in the ESA region on a country-specific basis. As chairman of the 10th African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) forum in 2010, Hon. Mutati hosted over 2,000 delegates and business people from around the globe to foster private sector collaboration with the ultimate aim of advancing Africa's trade agenda with the United States of America.

Hon. Mutati held various positions at the international level, including as Coordinator of the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) where he brokered consensus among LDC Trade Ministers facing contrary political and nationalistic pressures.

Hon. Mutati is a Fellow of the Chartered Accountants and has delivered lectures on wide-ranging issues such as regional integration, the impact of tax reforms on poverty reduction and corporate governance and social responsibility

 
Mr. François Davenne
Secretary General
OTIF

François DAVENNE, a graduate of the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Télécommunications d’Evry in 1988 and of the Ecole Nationale d’Administration (ENA) in 1999, has always promoted interdisciplinarity as a key factor for success. After experience in international satellite telecommunications, his first assignments were in the housing sector and required strong financial and legal skills. He was involved in policy and regulation of the sector, and managed key operational programmes, in particular for the city of Paris.

After three years in the French Ministry of Transport working on railway safety and regulations, with the emphasis on European regulations, he was elected Secretary General of OTIF in 2012. Since January 2013, he has promoted interdisciplinarity and partnership building to expand the uniform regulations for international carriage by rail. He was re-elected in October 2015 for a second mandate of another 3 years.

 
Mr. Fredrick Mpeusa
WCO Technical operational advisor on transit, Malawi

Fredrick Mpeusa is a Manager in Customs Techniques in the Malawi Revenue Authority. He has served in Malawi Customs for 17 years in various departments and sections including; operations, policy, Customs automation; and reform and modernization. Fredrick Mpeusa is a WCO accredited Transit Expert and has already been involved in a mission in South East Asia Region. He holds a Diploma in Management Studies and Bachelors Degree from University of Malawi; a Masters Degree in Customs Administration and Law from University of Canberra. He is currently studying for another Masters Degree in Public Administration and Management from University of Malawi.

 
0Ms. Gladys Mutangadura
Senior Economic Affairs Officer, UN-OHRLLS
 
Mr. Gosman Amrin
Deputy Chairman of State Revenue Committee of Kazakhstan

Born February 9, 1961 in Akmola region.

In 1982 he graduated from the Physics and Mathematics faculty of the Arkalyk Pedagogical Institute. Then he had at the Higher School of the NSC.

Over the years, Mr. Amrin worked as a Director of the Agency for Strategic Planning and Reform, a Deputy Minister of Defense for economy and finance matters, the First Deputy Minister of Industry and Commerce, a State Advisor to the Chairman of the «Sustainable Development Fund «Kazyna» JSC, a Chairman of the Board of the «Entrepreneurship Development Fund «Damu», a Chairman of the Board of the «Real Estate Fund «Samruk-Kazyna» JSC, a Deputy Chairman of the National Security Committee and a Chairman of the Customs Control Committee.

Since September 2014 Mr. Amrin is a Deputy Chairman of the State Revenue Committee of the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

He is an author of several publications on economic subjects.

 

 
0Mr. Hua Dong Li
Director
China Customs
 
Mr. Hugo Mayer
WCO Technical operational advisor on transit, Austria

Professional experience:

since Sep. 2010 Austrian Federal Ministry of Finance

Senior legal and policy expert

Customs law & policy and international customs matters

Representative/counsellor to the World Customs Organisation

and UNECE/TIR, ASEM-co-ordinator

-----------------------------------------------

Feb. 2010 – Aug. 2010 Austrian Chamber of Commerce

Senior legal expert

International trade law, European law, customs law

Evaluation of EU-legislation, international treaties, assessment

of national implementation and application

-----------------------------------------------

Jan. 2008 – Jan. 2010 Government of the Federal State of Vienna

Legal expert

Administrative law, environmental law, immigration law

Issuing of licences

-----------------------------------------------

Feb. 2005 – Dec. 2007 Austrian Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Aug. 2006 – Dec. 2007 OSCE Mission in Kosovo, Mitrovica

Seconded national expert

International officer for democratisation, property rights

and good governance

Feb. 2005 – July 2006 Permanent Mission of Austria to the OSCE

Attaché

Balkan-, Central-Asia and Caucasus expert

Drafting, EU-coordination, reports

Education:

Sept. 2011 – June 2012 Federal Academy of Finance, Austria

Customs law degree

Qualification: State Service Exam

--------------------------------------------

Sept. 2010 – June 2011 Federal Academy of Finance, Austria

Tax law degree

Qualification: State Service Exam

--------------------------------------------

Sept. 2003 - Dec. 2004 Victoria University Manchester, England

Master degree: Tax, customs and European law

Qualification: LL.M./Masters

--------------------------------------------

Sept. 1999 – Sept. 2000 Université Catholique de Louvain, Belgium

Erasmus studies: Public international law, development law

Qualification: Diploma

--------------------------------------------

Oct. 1997 – March 2003 Leopold Franzens University Innsbruck, Austria

Law degree

Qualification: Mag. iur./Masters

Military:

Oct. 1996 – Sept. 2003 Austrian Federal Army

Logistics officer

Rank: 1st Lieutenant

Languages:

English: mother tongue

German: mother tongue

French: C2

 
Mr. Kelete Kidane Zerezghi
Senior Customs Affairs Officer
COMESA Secretariat

Zerezghi Kelete Kidane is a Senior Customs Affairs Officer responsible for coordinating and ensuring that technical customs issues and customs programs are implemented effectively to accelerate regional cooperation and market integration at the COMESA Secretariat since July 2009. He holds a Masters of Commerce in Business Management and an MBA Postgraduate Diploma both from the University of Natal, Durban, South Africa and an B.A in Business Management and Public Administration from the University of Asmara.

Zerezghi has assisted in coordinating regional negotiations in finalizing the specific and general exemption regimes of COMESA and he played an instrumental role in concluding the customs cooperation annexes of the Tripartite Free Trade Area Negotiations as member of the technical working group representing COMESA Secretariat as well as the Programme on customs union roadmap. He supervised a number of gap analysis between the COMESA Common Customs Management Regulations and 18 Member States’ national Customs laws; the Common Tariff Nomenclature and 12 national tariff books; and Time Release Studies in 10 COMESA Member States.

Before joining the COMESA Secretariat, Zerezghi worked in different posts at the Eritrean Customs Department such as a Customs Station Managing Director at the Asmara International Airport from 2006 to June 2009, as a Senior Customs Expert in Tariff and Valuation Division from February 2002 to August 2006 and as a Customs Expert in the Operations and Enforcement Division in March 1998 to December 2001.

 
Mr. Kenichi Tomiyoshi
Senior Vice-President of JICA

NAME :                Kenichi TOMIYOSHI

 

Date of Birth:    17th January 1964

 

Academic Degree:  Faculty of Law, University of Tokyo

 

 

Previous posts include:

    

April 1986           Joined Ministry of International Trade and Industry(Now, Ministry of

Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) ), Japan

 

March 1997-    First Secretary, Embassy of Japan in Mexico

 

January 2001-   Director for Automobile Recycling Affairs, METI, Japan

 

July 2002-               Director, Credit Analysis Group, Credit Department,

Nippon Export and Investment Insurance (NEXI)

 

April 2005-             Director, Trade Insurance Division,

Trade and Economic Cooperation Bureau, METI, Japan

 

April 2007-              Director General, Department of Industry, Labor and Tourism,

Aichi Prefectural Government

 

April 2010-              Director, Textile and Clothing Division,

Manufacturing Indusries Bureau, METI, Japan

 

August 2011-           President Director, Jakarta Office,

Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO)

 

October 2015-    Senior Vice-President, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)

 

 
Mr. Kunio Mikuriya
Secretary General
World Customs Organization
         Before taking up his position as Secretary General of the World Customs Organization (WCO) on 1 January 2009, Kunio Mikuriya spent seven years as the Organization’s Deputy Secretary General. In this position he led efforts to coordinate the work of the WCO Secretariat with other international organizations such as the WTO, the World Bank, and the IMF, and with the private sector.

         Prior to joining the WCO, he worked for Japan's Ministry of Finance for 25 years. During his career with the Ministry, Kunio occupied a variety of senior posts, which have given him broad experience in Customs, trade development, budget, and financial policies.

         He served as Director of International Negotiations, Director of Enforcement, and Director of Research and International Affairs, in the Tariff and Customs Bureau. He also served as Director of Salaries and Allowances and as the Controller in the Budget Bureau. In addition, he spent time as a Counsellor at the Japanese Mission to the WTO in Geneva and participated in the GATT Uruguay Round trade negotiations. This experience enabled him to acquire an excellent knowledge of trade-related issues.

         Kunio Mikuriya has a BA degree in law from the University of Tokyo (Japan) and a Ph.D in international relations from the University of Kent (United Kingdom).

 
0Ms. Mariya Sossedenko
Project Manager on Transit Guidelines
World Customs Organization

Mariya is a Project Manager for Transit Guidelines at the Compliance and Facilitation Directorate of World Customs Organization. In this capacity she is in charge of the policy development related to transit facilitation and the elaboration of relevant tools and instruments. She also works on the improvement of possibilities for cooperation between customs administrations and inland modes of transport (railways and road transport). Prior to joining the WCO Mariya has been coordinating  the trade facilitation programme in Central Asia of the German International Cooperation (GIZ) for 7 years. Her main responsibility was rendering support to the customs administrations of Central Asian region in implementation of trade facilitation instruments, such as Single Window, AEO, risk management. She holds the LL.M. degree in Law and Finance from Riga Graduate School of Law, and M.A. degree in Political Science from the OSCE Academy. She is fluent in Russian, English and German.

 
Ms. Mercedes Gomez Chavez
WCO Technical operational advisor on transit, Peru

Mrs. Mercedes Gomez

Mercedes Gomez is a Technical and Operational Advisor in the area of Transit, accredited by the World Customs Organization.

She is a Lawyer and a Customs Specialist of the Peruvian Customs Administration – SUNAT, since 2011.

She has work experience in government audit.

She has represented Peru internationally in various academic events.

 
Mr. Mukai Kadyrkulov
Minister in Charge of Customs Cooperation of the Eurasian Economic Commission

Mukai A. Kadyrkulov is a member of the Board (Minister) for Customs Cooperation of the Eurasian Economic Commission (hereinafter – Commission). The Minister’s competence covers customs issues, including improvement of legal relations between the Member States of the Eurasian Economic Union (hereinafter – EEU) in Customs. The Minister is in charge of the Department of Customs Legislation and Practice and the Department of Customs Infrastructure of the Commission.

Under the leadership of the Minister the experts of these 2 Departments in cooperation with representatives of the business community and the Member States of the EEU - Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia are engaged in the process of improvement of customs relations and trade facilitation based on international experience and best practices in Customs.

From 1999 to 2016 Mukai Kadyrkulov took different positions in the State Customs Service under the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic. Before taking the position in the Commission he had worked as the First Deputy Chairman of the State Customs Service under the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic.

In 1991 he graduated from Kyrgyz National State University (n.a. 50th anniversary of the Soviet Union), majoring in History, later in 2002 – from the Russian Customs Academy, majoring in Customs Procedures.

 
Mr. Nelson Valiente
National Director
Paraguay Customs

LICENSED IN ACCOUNTING SCIENCES, GRADUATE OF THE NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF ASUNCION, IN 1993.

 

HAS A MASTER IN FINANCE, ORGANIZED BY THE FACULTY OF ECONOMIC SCIENCES OF THE NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF ASUNCION AND THE FACULTY OF ECONOMIC SCIENCES OF UNIVERSITY OF BUENOS AIRES.

 

PARTICIPATED AT THE NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL LEVEL OF SEVERAL WORKSHOPS, CONGRESSES AND SEMINARS, ON EXTERNAL TRADE, AUDIT, RISK MANAGEMENT, BANKING AND FINANCIAL LAW, MONEY LAUNDERING, JUST TO MENTION A FEW.

 

IS A CARRIER OFFICER FROM CENTRAL BANK OF PARAGUAY, FULFILLED FUNCTIONS IN SEVERAL POSITIONS WITHIN THE ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE OF THE SUPERINTENDENCY OF BANKS FROM 1995, REACHING THE POST OF SUPERINTENDENT OF BANKS IN THE YEAR 2012.  

 

ALSO SERVED AS A FINANCIAL MANAGER OF PETROLEOS PARAGUAYOS (PETROPAR), DURING THE YEARS 2009/2010, THROUGH A SPECIAL COMMISSIONING.

 

CURRENTLY, PERFORM AS NATIONAL DIRECTOR OF CUSTOMS, APPOINTED BY DECREE OF EXECUTIVE POWER N° 32, DATED AUGUST 16, 2013.

 
Ms. Nkanga Shimwandwe
Acting Commissioner for Customs
Zambia Revenue Authority

Nkanga is an accomplished tax administrator with thirteen years practical experience at Middle and Senior Management levels in the area of Customs and Excise Management.

 

She holds a Master’s Degree in Economic Policy Management from the University of Ghana through a World Bank Joint Japan Scholarship. She also holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics Major and Statistics Minor from the Maharajah Sayajirao University, India.

 

Nkanga started her career in the Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry in the Department of Information as an Economist in 1996. She later, in March 1998 joined the Zambia Revenue Authority in the Customs and Excise Division as a Customs Officer and progressed through the ranks to the position of Deputy Commissioner Operations in October 2012, a position she held until she was given an opportunity to head the Customs Services Division in March, 2017 in an acting capacity.

Nkanga has conducted research in Regional Integration and Customs matters under COMESA and United Nations Economic Commission for Africa which:

 

  1. Highlighted the impact of the Economic Partnership Agreement between the COMESA Countries and the European Union. This report became a key reference document for the Eastern and Southern African Countries as they embarked on the Economic Partnership Agreement negotiations; and

     

  2. Highlighted the cost of doing business arising from application of Non-Tariff Barriers in the COMESA region and proposals on how to reduce them.

 

Nkanga has planning, analytical, project management, business process improvement, change management and overall leadership skills, which are key in customs modernisation initiatives and administration.  She is focused, innovative and result oriented.

 

Nkanga is a Christian; a member of the Lutheran Church and is also passionate about Community Service and serves as a Rotarian.

 
0Mr. Ousman Sanogo
Côte d’Ivoire
 
Mr. Poul Hansen
Officer in Charge Trade Facilitation section
UNCTAD

Poul Hansen is responsible for issues relating to Trade Facilitation at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Division on Technology and Logistics (DTL). UNCTAD’s mandate is to assist developing and least developed countries as well as economies in transition integrating into global trade, promoting development-centered globalization and inclusive and sustainable growth and development for these countries.

Poul has extensive experience in the area of trade and transport facilitation, having worked for more than 15 years in the UN system on issues such as international trade, transportation, development, international standards, previously working at the UNECE as Secretary for the TIR Convention.

In addition, Poul has also worked in international sports policy as Head of Office for the UN Office on Sport and Development and Peace.

Prior to joining the UN, Poul worked for more than 10 years in the private sector in areas such public affairs, management consulting and logistics with organizations including Ernst & Young, FreightForward Europe (FFE), The International Road Transport Union (IRU) and the Ziegler Group, gaining experience in a number of industries including transportation and logistics, automotive, manufacturing and retail.

Poul's studies include both master and bachelor levels in Business Administration and International Law from the Aarhus and Copenhagen Business Schools, Denmark.

 
Mr. Raul Torres
Counselor Development Division
WTO

Raúl A. Torres – Raúl is a Counsellor in Development Division of the WTO, working on issues concerning the international trade integration of Landlocked Developing Countries and implementation of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.  He has been employed by WTO since July 1996, starting with the Rules Division where he worked for 8 years on issues related to Anti-dumping, Subsidies and Countervailing Measures, Safeguards, and State Trading Enterprises, including advising dispute settlement panels.  Prior to joining the WTO, Raúl worked for Venezuela's Instituto de Comercio Exterior and participated in the Foreign Associate Program of Morrison & Foerster in its Washington D.C. office. He holds a degree in law from Universidad Católica Andrés Bello (Caracas) and an LL.M. from Georgetown University.  In 2010 Raúl was the sixth WTO Fellow at the Institute for International Trade of the University of Adelaide in Australia. He has contributed to books on the WTO and the Multilateral Trading System and published articles on Anti-dumping, WTO Dispute Settlement, small economies, landlocked developing countries, the agenda 2030 for sustainable development and duty free zones. Raúl is fluent in Spanish, English and French.

 
Mr. Samson Uridia
Head of International Relations Department
Georgia Revenue Service

Mr. Samson URIDIA has been the Head of International Relations Department of Georgia Revenue Service (Tax and Customs Administration-SPS Border Control Agency) since April 2010. As the Head of the Department, Mr. URIDIA has been in charge of management process of external relations of Georgia Revenue Service.

During October 2005 – April 2010 Samson URIDIA held different positions at Georgia Revenue Service; namely: Head of Division for Customs Procedures and Technological Schemes, Methodology Department, Deputy Head of Main Division for Customs Control Organization,  Customs Department , Deputy head of Customs Control Department. Mr. URIDIA has got the relevant experience in holding the different managerial positions in other governmental institutions.

While working in the public sector, Samson URIDIA was involved in the economically strategic negotiations for the country including negotiations on Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area with the European Union, Free Trade Agreements with EFTA, The People’s Republic of China. 

Samson URIDIA has been involved in the dynamic process of modernization activities of Georgian Customs Administration, particularly, drafting customs code, relevant bylaws, implementing customs-business partnership, risk based customs control, drafting agreement/protocols on joint use of border crossing points with the Republic of Turkey and has been actively cooperating with the relevant business associations.

Samson URIDIA holds Diplomas of Excellence in Economic Relations and in Law   from Georgian Agribusiness Institute and Tbilisi State Institute of Economic Relations.

 
Mr. Sergey Sokolov
Adviser of the Customs Legislation and Law Enforcement Practice Department, the EEC
Sergey Sokolov is advisor of the Customs Legislation and Law Enforcement Practice Department of the Eurasian Economic Commission.
His competence includes work on transit, border crossing facilitation, transport corridors development, movement of goods through the pipelines and transmission lines.
From 2010 to 2012 Mr. Sokolov worked in Federal Customs Service of Russian Federation, and from 2012 to date - in the Eurasian Economic Commission.

In 2010 he graduated from the Russian Customs Academy with a degree in "Company's Economics and Management".

 
Mr. Shukhrat Kayumkhodjaev
the Chairman of the Commission for transport strategy
OSJD
I was born in the Republic of Uzbekistan, Tashkent. I am a graduate of the Tashkent University of Oriental Studies, international relations department. I have a master degree on international relations’ history and theory. I began my career in the locomotive depot as a project manager. I worked as a director of foreign economic relations department in Uzbekistan Railways Company. Then I continued as an assistant of the Chairman of Uzbekistan Railways Company. Since 2015 I have been representing Uzbekistan Railways Company in OSJD Committee.  
 
Mr. Sompasong Amphaengphai
Deputy Director of Customs Procedures and Formalities
Lao People’s Democratic Republic

Sompasong is the Deputy Director of Procedures and Formalities Division of Lao Customs Department, working on the area of simplifying Customs procedures and trade facilitation. He has worked for Lao Customs for 8 years starting with the Customs and Trade Facilitation Project as a project coordinator, before being appointed as an assistant to the Director General of Lao Customs Department in 2011 and promoted to his current position in 2015. Sompasong has been involving in introduction of many initiatives and measures trade facilitation including regulatory reform and electronic systems development. He participated in the process of accession to the WCO Revised Kyoto Convention and ratification of WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement. He holds a degree in engineering from Ritsumeikan University in Japan. He is fluent in English.

 
Ms. Susanne Aigner
Head of Unit A2, DG Taxation and Customs Union, EC

Susanne Aigner

2014 European Commission, Head of Unit Customs Legislation, DG TAXUD (in charge of Union Customs Code and customs legislation)

2010-2014 Deputy Director Compliance and Facilitation at World Customs Organisation, WCO (in charge of WTO TFA, AEO, SAFE, Revised Kyoto Convention, Data Model, IT matters, Single Window and Coordinated Border Management)

2002-2010 European Commission, DG TAXUD, in various posts, in charge of EU-US agreements, US CSI and C-TPAT, EU AEO, supply chain security and risk management

Initially from Austrian Ministry of Finance, working for the EU Institutions since 1995

Education: Doctorate in Law, Austria

 
Mr. Takeshi KOZU
Project Formulation Advisor for Transport
JICA South Africa Office

Takeshi KOZU is Project Formulation Advisor for Transport, OSBP, Energy and Natural Resources at the JICA South Africa Office, covering South Africa, Zimbabwe, Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Lethoto and Swaziland.   Mr. Takeshi  has worked in “Corridor Development and OSBP” on African continent for last 14 years and having lived in South Africa, Cote D’Ivoire, Tunisia, Kenya and Uganda as an expert of JICA and ICA hosted by African Development Bank.  He has also experience of running Customs Bonded Warehouse and Clearing and Forwarding company in Africa as a CEO of a private company and a secretary of former prime minister of Japan.   He holds master’s degree in International Development from National Graduate Institute of Policy Studies (GRIPS).

 
Mr. Toshihiko Osawa
Technical Officer,Compliance and Facilitation Directorate
World Customs Organization

Mr. Toshihiko Osawa (World Customs Organization)

 

Technical Officer of Compliance and Facilitation at the World Customs Organization (WCO) as of June 2017. In this capacity, he is in charge of the Economic Competitiveness Package which comprises all WCO tools and instruments contributing economic growth or trade facilitation. He is also dealing with various WCO projects regarding trade facilitation including the implementation of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) and transit regimes. He is also in charge of several international Conventions on temporary admission such as the Istanbul Conventions as well as the Container Convention and has organized several administrative committees on such issue.

 

Before the WCO, he worked at the Ministry of Finance of Japan several years. His main responsibility was to negotiate bilateral agreements on mutual assistance in Customs issues.  Also, He was a member of special taskforce of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Strategy in the Cabinet office of Japan and developed a strategic plan to protect/promote IPR of Japan.

 

During his carrier, he completed a Master Degree in International Relations at the University of Warwick (the United Kingdom) in 2005.

 
Mr. Umberto de Pretto
the Secretary General of IRU

Umberto de Pretto took up office as Secretary General of IRU in June 2013. He joined IRU in 1995 as Head of Economic Affairs. He then became Policy Coordinator and Head of Strategy, and was appointed Deputy Secretary General in 2002. His vision looking forward to 2020 is that IRU will lead the road transport industry in embracing innovation and ensuring that the industry is ready for the challenges and opportunities ahead.

After graduating from Ottawa’s Carleton University in Political Science, Economics and International Relations, he worked as a Legislative Assistant for Ministers and Members of the Canadian Parliament and then moved to Paris in 1992 to take on the position of Head of the Transport Division, to be shortly afterwards named Deputy Director of the International Chamber of Commerce, responsible for International Commercial Practices and Techniques.

Born in Ottawa in 1961, Mr de Pretto is a Canadian and Italian citizen, is happily married and is a proud father of two boys.

 
Mr. Wencai Zhang
Vice-President of the ADB

Mr. Wencai Zhang is the Vice-President (Operations 1) of the Asian Development Bank (ADB). He joined ADB in December 2013.

Mr. Zhang is responsible for operations in the South Asia Department and the Central and West Asia Department.

Prior to joining ADB, Mr. Zhang was the Director General of the Department of External Economic Cooperation at the Ministry of Finance (MOF) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC).

He served as the Deputy Director General for the International Department of MOF from July 2004 to July 2012, where he worked with various multilateral initiatives, including the Group of 20 (G20), Association of Southeast Asian Nations+3 (ASEAN+3), and Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation.

From April 2007 to September 2009, Mr. Zhang was the Executive Director for the PRC at ADB, where he was the Chairman of the Budget Review Committee and a member of the Development Effectiveness Committee and the Ethics Committee of the Board of Directors. From December 1993 to May 1996, he was the Advisor to the Executive Director of China at the World Bank in Washington, D.C.

Since July 1989, Mr. Zhang has held senior positions in the MOF, overseeing loan programs, technical assistance and training, international financial institutions, and international economic relations.

Mr. Zhang holds a PhD in Finance from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. He earned his Master’s Degree and Bachelor’s Degree in International Economics from Nan Kai University in Tianjin, PRC.

Mr. Zhang is married with two children.

Professional History

2013-present

Vice-President (Operations 1), Asian Development Bank

2012-2013

Director General, Department of External Economic Cooperation,

Ministry of Finance, People's Republic of China (PRC)

2009-2012

Deputy Director General , International Department,

Ministry of Finance, PRC

2007-2009

Executive Director for PRC, Asian Development Bank

2004-2007

Deputy Director GeneralInternational Department, Ministry of Finance,

PRC

1999-2004

Director, Various Divisions, International Department, Ministry of Finance, PRC

1998-1999

Deputy Director, Division of Loan Programs, International Department, Ministry of Finance, PRC

1996-1998

Deputy Director, Division of Agriculture, Water Resources, Forestry and Poverty Alleviation, World Bank Department, Ministry of Finance, PRC

1993-1996

Advisor to Executive Director of China, World Bank, Washington D.C.,

USA

1989-1993

Project Officer, Division of Industry, Transport and Energy, World Bank Department, Ministry of Finance, PRC

 
Mr. Ying Qian
Director, Public Management, Financial Sector and Regional Cooperation Division, East Asia Department
Asian Development Bank

Ying Qian

Director, Public Management, Financial Sector and Regional Cooperation Division, East Asia Department, Asian Development Bank

 

Ying has been with ADB for over 20 years and worked in countries in South Asia, Southeast Asia, Central Asia and East Asia. At the current position, Ying and his colleagues initiate and implement programs and projects in areas of fiscal and tax reforms, governance, access to finance, financial stability, private sector development, PPP, etc. They also initiate and coordinate regional cooperation programs, focusing on trade facilitation, and trade and investment at Subregional level. Ying previously worked at the World Bank and the American Express Co. Ying has a Ph.D. in Economics from Duke University and an undergraduate degree in Computer Science from Renmin University of China.