The Revised Kyoto Convention
The International Convention on the Simplification and Harmonization of Customs procedures (Kyoto Convention) entered into force in 1974 and was revised and updated to ensure that it meets the current demands of governments and international trade.
The WCO Council adopted the revised Kyoto Convention in June 1999 as the blueprint for modern and efficient Customs procedures in the 21st century. Once implemented widely, it will provide international commerce with the predictability and efficiency that modern trade requires. The revised Kyoto Convention elaborates several key governing principles- chief among these are the principles of:
- 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;
- coordinated interventions with other border agencies;
- partnership with the trade.
The revised Kyoto Convention promotes trade facilitation and effective controls through its legal provisions that detail the application of simple yet efficient procedures. The revised Convention also contains new and obligatory rules for its application which all Contracting Parties must accept without reservation.
The revised Kyoto Convention entered into force on February 3, 2006.
WORKING ON THE TEXT
Ex.1. SKIMMING:
a.Read the headline and the first sentence of each paragraph of the text. Pair up to discuss the topic of the article.
b. Read the first paragraph and the last paragraph of the text. Then work in pairs to discuss the contents of the piece.
c. Read the text. Get into pairs to discuss the contents of the piece.
Ex.2. SCANNING:
a. While scanning the text find the answers for content-specific questions given by the teacher.
b.While scanning the text pick out the sentences containing the key words given by the teacher
Ex.3. READING:Read and translate the text.
Ex.4. TEXT QUESTIONS: Look back at the text and write down some questions you would like to ask the class about the text.
- Share your questions with other classmates / groups.
- Ask your partner / group your questions.
Ex.5. CHAT:Discuss with your classmates the key ideas of the text.
Ex.6. TRUE / FALSE: Guess if a-h below are true (T) or false (F).
| a. | The WCO Council adopted the revised Kyoto Convention in June 1999 as the blueprint for modern and efficient Customs procedures in the 21st century. | T / F |
| b. | The revised Kyoto Convention elaborates several key governing principles- chief among these are the principles of: transparency and predictability of Customs actions; standardization and simplification of the goods declaration and supporting documents; | T / F |
| c. | The revised Kyoto Convention doesn’t elaborate the principle of: simplified procedures for authorized persons; | T / F |
| d. | The revised Kyoto Convention elaborates several key governing principles- chief among these are the principles of: minimum necessary Customs control to ensure compliance with regulations; use of risk management and audit based controls; | T / F |
| e. | The principles of: coordinated interventions with other border agencies; partnership with the trade were declared by the Arusha Declaration. | T / F |
| f. | The revised Kyoto Convention entered into force on February 3, 2006. | T / F |
| g. | The revised Convention also contains new and obligatory rules for its application which all Contracting Parties must accept without reservation. | T / F |
| h. | The International Convention on the Simplification and Harmonization of Customs procedures (Kyoto Convention) entered into force in 1947. | T / F |
Ex.7. TEXT CONTENT EXPLANATION:Explain the following statements:
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Ex.8. VOCABULARY: Circle the words you do not understand. In groups, pool unknown words and use dictionaries to find their meanings.