His Excellency the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Bhutan in Brussels, Mr. Sonam Tshong, deposited his country’s instrument of accession to the International Convention on the Simplification and Harmonization of Customs Procedures (Revised Kyoto Convention – RKC) on 15 September 2014, making the Kingdom of Bhutan the 96th Contracting Party to this Convention.

The RKC is the international standard for making Customs regulatory procedures as efficient and effective as possible. The Convention elaborates upon several important principles, including transparency and predictability of Customs actions; standardization and simplification of the goods declaration and supporting documents; simplified procedures for authorized persons; maximum use of information technology; minimum necessary Customs control to ensure compliance with regulations; use of risk management and audit based controls; and coordinated interventions with other border agencies.

The WCO Secretary General welcomed Bhutan’s accession which demonstrates the country’s commitment to implementing Customs procedures adapted to the international trade environment and efforts towards trade facilitation aiming to respond effectively to the challenges faced by Customs in the 21st Century.

The RKC will enter into force for the Kingdom of Bhutan on 15 December 2014.

The Secretary General, Mr. Kunio Mikuriya, strongly urges the other WCO Members to accede to the RKC as soon as possible.

source: WCO (www.wcoomd.org)

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