International Cooperation. The World Customs Organization. Grammar Review
Exercise 1. Before reading the text, answer these questions:
a) Do you know any intergovernmental body whose mission is to enhance the effectiveness of Customs administrations?
b) Do you know any organization which can call itself the voice of the international Customs community?
Exercise 2. Read the text to learn more about this body.
PART I
The World Customs Organization (WCO) is an intergovernmental organization headquartered in Brussels, Belgium. The WCO is noted for its work in areas covering the development of international conventions, instruments, and tools on topics such as commodity classification, valuation, rules of origin, collection of customs revenue, supply chain security, international trade facilitation, customs enforcement activities, combating counterfeiting in support of IPR, integrity promotion, and capacity building to assist with customs reforms and modernization. The WCO maintains the international Harmonized System (HS) goods nomenclature, and administers the technical aspects of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreements on Customs Valuation and Rules of Origin.
The history of the WCO began in 1947 when the thirteen European Governments represented in the Committee for European Economic Co-operation agreed to set up a Study Group. This Group examined the possibility of establishing one or more inter-European Customs Unions based on the principles of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT).
In 1948, the Study Group set up two committees – an Economic Committee and a Customs Committee. The Economic Committee was the predecessor of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the Customs Committee became the Customs Cooperation Council (CCC).
After years of membership growth, in 1994 the Council adopted the working name World Customs Organization, to more clearly reflect its transition to a truly global intergovernmental institution. It is now the voice of 179 Customs administrations which operate on all continents and represent all stages of economic development. Today, WCO Members are responsible for processing more than 98% of all international trade.
Exercise 3. Answer the following questions.
9. What main topics does the WCO bear responsibility for?
10. What important international agreements does the WCO administer?
11. When did the history of the WCO begin?
12. Why was the first Study Group set up?
13. What were the former names of the World Customs Organization?
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Exercise 4. In pairs, make a list of five things you think are important when speaking about the WCO. Compare it with other pairs. How many of your points are the same?
Exercise 5. In Part I you’ve come acrosssome well-knownnames of international agreements,such asthe Agreement on Customs Valuation, Rules of Origin, the Harmonized System (HS) and the GATT. Do you think it’s important to learn more about them? Use the Internet resources like Wikipedia, to find some relevant information and tell the class about what you’ve learnt.
Exercise 6. Match phrasal verbs in the box below to their definitions consulting a dictionary. Make up 3-5 sentences with these verbs.
| to set in to set aside to set about to set aside to set somebody up to set out/off to set apart to set up to set on somebody to set up |
To establish
To make a start
To start and seem likely to continue
To start working
To reserve
To annull
To get somebody started
To attack somebody
Exercise 7. Test yourself. Complete the following sentences. Each sentence contains an incomplete phrasal verb. From the given options find out the particle or preposition that needs to be supplied to make the phrasal verb complete.
1. The rainy season has set __________.
a) in b) on c) out
2. It’s time you set _________ your work.
a) about b) aside c) in
3. The princess set _______ on a long journey.
a) off b) out c) either could be used here
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4. They have set _______ a factory in the town.
a) out b) up c) forth
5. Set some money _______ for your retirement.
a) aside b) for c) out
6. The Supreme Court has set ________ the High Court judgment.
a) aside b) in c) out
7. She has set ______ a handsome amount for her children’s education.
a) aside b) apart c) either could be used here
8. Suddenly the dog set ______ me with no provocation.
a) out b) on c) off
9. His Dad set him ______ in their family business.
a) up b) out c) on
Exercise 8. Read Part II of the text to learn more about the WCO’s competence in Customs matters.
PART II
As the global centre of Customs expertise, the WCO is the only international organization with competence in Customs matters and can rightly call itself the voice of the international Customs community.
The WCO’s governing body – the Council – relies on the competence and skills of a Secretariat and a range of technical and advisory committees to accomplish its mission. The Secretariat comprises over 100 international officials, technical experts and support staff of some nationalities.
As a forum for dialogue and exchange of experiences between national Customs delegates, the WCO offers its Members a range of Conventions and other international instruments, as well as technical assistance and training services provided either directly by the Secretariat, or with its participation. The Secretariat also actively supports its Members in their endeavors to modernize and build capacity within their national Customs administrations.
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Besides the vital role played by the WCO in stimulating the growth of legitimate international trade, its efforts to combat fraudulent activities are also recognized internationally. The partnership approach championed by the WCO is one of the keys to building bridges between Customs administrations and their partners. By promoting the emergence of an honest, transparent and predictable Customs environment, the WCO directly contributes to the economic and social well-being of its Members.
Finally, in an international environment characterized by instability and the ever-present threat of terrorist activity, the WCO’s mission to enhance the protection of society and the national territory, and to secure and facilitate international trade, takes on its full meaning.
Exercise 9. Answer the following questions.
1. Who does the Council rely on in accomplishing its mission?
2. As a forum for Customs delegates, what does the WCO offer its members?
3. What is one of the keys to building bridges between Customs administrations and their partners?
4. Why does the WCO’s mission to enhance the protection of society take on its full meaning today?
Exercise 10. Write out from the text words and phrases necessary to speak about the WCO’s mission. Talk with another student on the topic.
Exercise 11. Match the beginnings of the sentences to their endings. The first is done for you. Guess the meanings of the phrasal verbs with take.
| Since he retired, |
| If she had asked me, I’d have done it. |
| This sofa is too big. | You can’t let him say things like that. | |
| We’re taking up the tiles and | Can you pick me up at seven? | |
| I’m going to take up your offer of a lift. | I took him up on it. | |
| Jenny came back and took up | I always have to take them up. | |
| I’m so short that when I buy jeans, | he’s taken up golf. | |
| Bill offered me a ride home so | who is almost 5 years older than her. | |
| You should have taken him up on it. | the story where she had left off. | |
| She’s taken up with Johnny | It takes up too much space. | |
| She took it upon herself. | replacing them with new ones. |
Exercise 12. Did you know? The first session of the CCC was held in Brussels on the 26th of January in 1953, this date is now celebrated annually as International Customs Day. Here’s a newspaper article about Hong Kong Customs’ celebration of 2014 International Customs Day.
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Do you think these statements are true or false? Talk together, and then read the article to check.
a) Customs has to deal with a wide range of problems only with other law enforcement agencies.
b) It’s impossible for Customs to balance between protection and facilitation.
c) Customs is unable to enhance economic competitiveness and international security.
The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mrs. Carrie Lam, and the Commissioner of Customs and Excise, Mr. Clement Cheung, officiated at a cocktail reception on January 24 to celebrate the 2014 International Customs Day (ICD). The theme for ICD this year is "Communication", with the slogan "Sharing Information for Better Cooperation".
Mrs. Lam said at the reception that communication is an essential element of corporate governance and public administration. Noting Hong Kong Customs' wide range of duties that span across narcotics interdiction, protection and collection of government revenue on dutiable goods, trade controls and facilitation, intellectual property rights protection and consumer protection, Mrs. Lam said, "I believe the key to success in mastering this diverse portfolio rests with partnership and collaboration, not just with counterparts in the law enforcement domain, but also with those in the business sector and the community as a whole."
Recognizing that communication in the form of intelligence and experience sharing also serves as a powerful tool in enforcement, she applauded the success of Hong Kong Customs in effecting several record seizures of dangerous drugs, illicit tobacco and endangered species in the past years.
Also officiating at the ceremony, Mr. Cheung said that communication is at the heart of all successful endeavors. Hong Kong Customs is acutely aware of the need to strike a balance between protection and facilitation. Its partnership with overseas counterparts has been manifested in the form of cooperative arrangements ratified with other jurisdictions, with Argentine, Russian and Vietnam Customs being new additions in 2013. He then added, "From a regional perspective, we play an active part in running seminars and workshops to promote intelligence sharing and capacity building."
This year's theme aims to emphasize the pivotal role of Customs in coordinating with different partners for enhancing economic competitiveness and international security. Robust communication enables Customs and the stakeholders to develop mutual understanding on their needs and priorities with a view to strengthening cooperation in combating transnational crime and protecting revenue collection, as well as securing and facilitating trade.
At the reception, Mrs. Lam presented the World Customs Organization Certificate of Merit to 19 officers in Hong Kong Customs in recognition of their contribution in international Customs cooperation, Customs-businessengagement, intelligence exchange, and other initiatives related to communication.
Helpful vocabulary: to officiate - to perform the official duties at a ceremony;
endeavor -an effort to do something, especially something new or difficult;
pivotal - extremely important and affecting how something develops;
robust system is strong and successful;
stakeholder - a person or company that has invested in a business and owns part of it;
Certificate of Merit is an achievement award presented to a person/student, a group of people or an organization. A student may be awarded a certificate of merit for the best overall performance in a certain subject every year or a number of subjects.
Exercise 13. Read again. Answer the questions:
1. What was the slogan for ICD in 2014? Why?
2. What range of duties of Hong Kong Customs were noted at the reception?
3. Why is communication considered a powerful tool in enforcement?
4. According to Mr. Cheung, how can the balance between protection and facilitation be reached by Customs?
5. What does robust communication enable Customs and the stakeholders to do?
Exercise 14. Talk together. In what way is the International Customs Day celebrated in your country? If you were a Customs official, how would you offer to celebrate ICD? Give your opinions.
Exercise 15. Which words and expressions in the box can you use to complete the sentences:
| range of duties vital a powerful tool endeavors the slogan to promote enables annually diverse portfolio counterparts |
1. International Customs Day is now celebrated…
2. Customs' wide …span across narcotics interdiction, protection and collection of government revenue on dutiable goods, trade controls and facilitation, intellectual property rights protection and consumer protection.
3. The key to success in mastering this … rests with partnership and collaboration.
4. Communication in the form of intelligence and experience sharing also serves as … in enforcement.
5. Communication is at the heart of all successful ….
6. It is … that we strike a balance between protection and facilitation.
7. We play an active part in running seminars and workshops … intelligence sharing and capacity building.
8. Robust communication … Customs and the stakeholders to develop mutual understanding on their needs and priorities.
Exercise 16. Make a summary of the above article in 5-6 statements using words in bold type.
Prepare to write a summary of the article.
· Read it again to make sure you understand each paragraph.
· Make notes of the main points.
· Compare with a partner to see if you agree on the main points.
A summary should:
1. be easy to understand.
2. include all the main points of the original, without unnecessary details.
3. not include your own opinions or reactions.
4. not include any unnecessary words and expressions.
5. be written in your own words, without copying sections of the original.
6. be written in complete sentences, linked to make a paragraph.
Work alone and write your summary. Aim for about 100 words.
Exercise 17. Use modal verbs can, may, must, should, to have to, to be able to, to be to in proper forms.
1. All arriving passengers _______ complete an Incoming Passenger Card.
2. Some medicines _______ not be transported across international borders unless they are accompanied by a customs clearance from the country concerned.
3. You ______ be questioned by officers and have your bags inspected.
4. While the WTO is driven by its member states, it could not function without its Secretariat to coordinate the activities.
5. Individuals ________ be aware it is an offence to import unregistered agricultural chemicals (including household pesticides and personal insect repellents) and veterinary medicines without prior written consent from the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA).
6. Border Patrol agents not only _______ know how to do their jobs, but ______ also realize that the nation's welfare increasingly depended on them to exercise their duties honestly and without consideration to personal costs.
7. CBP works to facilitate travel to the United States while securing our borders from terrorists and terrorist weapons that _______ cause harm.
8. CBP _______ give back to the community in which we live and work.
9. The Detroit Station _______ function in much the same manner as a sub-sector but under the direct command of the Sector Chief Patrol Inspector.
10. In other words, the rules _______ be ‘transparent’ and predictable.
Exercise 18. Want to know more about the WCO’s historical milestones? Visit the official site of the Organization and tell the class what you’ve learnt.
http://www.wcoomd.org/en/about-us/what-is-the-wco/au_history.aspx
Exercise 19. Translate the following passagestwice: yourself and with the help of any computer translation system. Make sure that your translation is better than that of the computer.
1) Customs Valuation is the process where customs authorities assign a monetary value to a good or service for the purposes of import or export. Generally, authorities engage in this process as a means of protecting tariff concessions, collecting revenue for the governing authority, implementing trade policy, and protecting public health and safety.
Custom duties, and the need for customs valuation, have existed for thousands of years among different cultures, with evidence of their use in the Roman Empire, the Han Dynasty and the Indian sub-continent. The first recorded customs tariff was from 336 in Palmyra, an oasis city in the Syrian Desert.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Customs_valuation - cite_note-1 Beginning near the end of the 20th century, the procedures used throughout most of the world for customs valuation were codified in the Agreement on Implementation of Article VII of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 1994.
2) Article VII of the GATT outlines the requirements for Valuation for Customs Purposes, and is applicable to all members of the World Trade Organization. The Agreement on Implementation of Article VII (known as the WTO Agreement on Customs Valuation or the “Valuation Agreement”) ensures that determinations of the customs value for the application of duty rates to imported goods are conducted in a neutral and uniform manner, precluding the use of arbitrary or fictitious customs values.
Exercise 20. Read the WTO news item and put the verbs in brackets into the correct tense-forms in active or passive voice. Make five questions to cover the contents of the text. Summarize the news item.
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