Trans-Tasman Ministerial Talks Auckland

Trans-Tasman Ministerial Talks Auckland
27 July 2005
COMMUNIQUE
Ministerial Talks

The Hon. Rick Barker, New Zealand's Minister of Customs
and
Senator the Hon. Chris Ellison, Australia's Minister for Justice and Customs

The Hon. Rick Barker, New Zealand's Minister for Customs and the Hon. Chris Ellison, the Australian Minister responsible for Customs, met in Auckland, New Zealand, on 27 July 2005 to consider a range of Customs issues of common interest.

The Ministers acknowledged the long history of cooperation between the New Zealand Customs Service and the Australian Customs Service and the benefits this cooperation has achieved.

The Ministers noted the strength of the relationship between the two administrations and the ongoing commitment to cooperation at both bilateral and regional levels. This cooperation ensures effective border controls that will continue to provide a high level of assurance to trans-Tasman travel and trade.

In this context, the Ministers agreed New Zealand and Australian Customs would explore options to work bilaterally and regionally on implementing the World Customs Organisation's new ‘Framework of Standards to Secure and Facilitate Global Trade’.

The Ministers noted that the two Chief Executives had agreed that an officials' High Level Steering Group from the New Zealand and Australian Customs Services would be established to address border issues, facilitation of passenger movements and cargo processing, including:

-customs aspects of security in the maritime and air environments

- intelligence sharing generally, including matters such as transnational organised crime, drugs, intellectual property rights and security

- streamlining the processing of low-risk passengers

- automated passenger processing

- harmonisation of Customs data models

- working together to implement the World Customs Organisation's Framework of Standards to Secure and Facilitate Global Trade, including:

-- a Trans-Tasman 'Customs to business' trade security programme

-- for the Oceania Customs Organisation, addressing the security of transhipped and transited goods through Australia and New Zealand, to and from the Pacific

- undertaking an analysis of the Customs-related capacity building needs of members of the Oceania Customs Organisation

The Ministers emphasised the importance of collaborative New Zealand and Australian efforts in the Pacific, joint approaches such as modernisation activity in Tonga and improving the ability of the Oceania Customs Organisation to address regional border control and facilitation challenges in the Pacific.

Ministers agreed that, in light of these initiatives and opportunities for further cooperation, there was continued value in regular high level talks.

Hon. RICK BARKER
27 July 2005
Hon. CHRIS ELLISON
27 July 2005

ENDS

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