17 July 2013: The World Customs Organization (WCO) Knowledge Academy for Customs brought together experts in customs and international trade to discuss, inter alia, the use of the WCO Data Model, an international standard for meeting the procedural and legal needs of cross-border regulatory agencies, and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) e-permitting toolkit.

The course, which took place in Brussels, Belgium, from 2-11 July 2013, relied on the updated CITES E-Permitting Toolkit as an example of how the WCO Data Model can support a global convention regulating international trade in wildlife. John Scanlon, CITES Secretary-General, highlighted the importance for customs officials, the private sector and other stakeholders to understand the regulatory framework provided by CITES. [CITES News] [The CITES Electronic Permitting Toolkit] [WCO Knowledge Academy for Customs]