Lieutenant Governor Ray Tenorio with OCO Head Seve Paeniu.

Guam will be hosting the 19th OCO Annual Conference this year on 2-5 May 2017. It will bring to Guam about 50 delegates representing the 23 Member Customs Administrations of the Pacific island countries and territories including Australia and New Zealand, and as well as representatives of the international and regional organisations and development partners such as the World Bank, IMF and the World Customs Organisation. The conference participants will discuss customs modernisation and reforms related to the conference theme of “Data Analysis for Effective Boarder Management”.

Having Guam as the host of the OCO annual conference will bring much publicity and opportunities to Guam and in particular to the Guam Customs and Quarantine Agency. The conference will bring together 23 Heads of Customs from the Pacific Region and over 20 global stakeholders and partnerships to Guam for knowledge sharing, collaboration and networking. This will raise the profile of Guam, being the host country that can result in increased economic benefits for the economy and the private sector, attract international publicity and attention, and build a value-adding global network.

The Head of the OCO Secretariat Mr Seve Paeniu visited Guam from the 21st to the 23rd of February for a Pre-Conference visit to consult with the Guam Customs and Quarantine Agency and relevant authorities regarding the preparations for the hosting of the OCO Annual Conference in May.