English for customs officers

prohibitions and restrictions (including works of art, stolen vehicles, anabolic steroids, etc.).

The activity of the RILO network is carried out at:

national level, the Member administrations' National Contact Points (NCPs) gather information on seizures made from existing sources at national level, electronically input data into the CEN or transmit the said data to RILOs by fax or post, analyze the information collected at national level to ascertain new trends, produce Alerts and transmit them to the RILOs for regional circulation, and co-operate nationally with the full gamut of enforcement agencies or services;

regional level, the RILOs study and evaluate international seizures, verify the accuracy of the CEN data supplied by the NCPs, prepare and circulate Alerts and intelligence profiles, issue periodicals or ad hoc analysis bulletins, devise, organize and support regional intelligencebased operations, facilitate mutual assistance and co-operation with other enforcement services and provide technical or other assistance to NCPs;

international level, the WCO Secretariat is responsible for the central management of the CEN by using, operating and maintaining the system as a global information and intelligence tool for the RILO network, periodically conducts global strategic and tactical analyses based on information available in the CEN, circulates a summary of its analyses in its annual reports, offers training and technical assistance to the RILOs and their Members, and shares strategic information with other international organizations engaged in combating organized crime.

EXERCISES

I. Find the words/phrases in the text which follow the verbs below.

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II. Make phrases by matching words from the left with words from the right and translate them.

III. Speak on the WCO's enforcement strategy.

FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITIES

I. Match left to the right to make a word/phrase combination.

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II. Translate into Russian.

SHARED RESPONSIBILITY

«Shared responsibility» increases the legal responsibility of a betterinformed importer to comply with Customs laws and regulations. Basically, shared responsibility stands for the proposition that importers and Customs have a joint responsibility to ensure that international traffic flows smoothly.

III. Working in pairs fill in the details of the following story.

(1) men, three Canadians, a Hong Kong national and an Australian have been charged with a number of drug offences in connection with the seizure of 55 kg of heroin with an estimated potential street value of

(2) million. The five are facing charges of being involved with the drug shipment either by (3) in the importation.

The heroin was discovered hidden in the back of 29 (4) which had been imported into Australia from (5). The (6) had been packed in four wooden crates and had arrived as air cargo. After locating the crates (7) examined the cargo which was then transferred to the (8) for a controlled delivery.

The drugs were described as «professionally» concealed in small plastic (9) covered in (10) and sandwiched between (11).

IV. Read the following text. What is the main idea of the text? Discuss it in class.

The impact and consequences of counterfeiting and piracy are farreaching. It is not only about infringements of intellectual property rights, it is also about the direct threat these goods pose to consumer health and

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safety, infractions of labour legislation, unfair competition and revenue losses for national governments and the business community.

In early 2004, the need to address the rapidly growing global problem of counterfeiting and piracy had emerged as a key priority for national governments and intergovernmental organizations concerned about the myriad adverse costs to social welfare and economic development that was resulting from the rampant theft of intellectual property. Notably, trade in counterfeit goods was rising dramatically worldwide and had spread to almost every conceivable type of product. Billions of dollars in revenues were being lost to the black economy. Counterfeit drugs were putting lives at risk. And there was growing evidence that transnational organized crime networks were using profits from trade in counterfeit and pirated goods to fund their activities.

It was clear that better strategies – based on more effective cooperation between stakeholders at national and international level – were needed to combat the multiple threats posed by this damaging trade. To this end, the Seventh Global Congress on Combating Counterfeiting and Piracy was convened in Istanbul, Turkey from 24–26 April 2013 by the World Customs Organization (WCO) and INTERPOL with the support of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO).

The three intergovernmental organizations, each with a wealth of experience in different aspects of combating counterfeiting and piracy, called together representatives from governments, industry and enforcement agencies. Together they determined to pool their forces with the objectives of pushing the fight against counterfeiting and piracy up the global political and business agenda; of establishing a high level public-private partnership to pursue collective action; and of generating conditions which would lead to greater investment of human and financial resources in enforcement measures. Their overall goal was to improve the understanding of the full range and extent of these costs so as to assist member governments confronting decisions on how investments in IP protection (through legislation and regulatory enforcement) are related to and can improve other social and development priorities, such as economic development, employment, tax base, consumer health and safety, technology transfer, law enforcement and fighting organized crime.

A Steering Group was established with key partner organizations from the Intergovernmental Organizations and the global business

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community in order to build the global public-private partnership and to ensure that recommendations were carried through.

V. Fill in the gaps with a suitable name of the organization from the list.

A.European Committee to Combat Drugs.

B.International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol).

C.World Customs Organization (WCO).

D.The Pompidou Group.

E.North American Free Trade Association (NAFTA).

F.Vienna Convention.

G.OECD.

1.… is involved in a wide range of matters of police interest in criminal activity. On the drugs side, it provides information about illegal movements of drugs and money internationally. It also co-ordinates extradiction warrants.

2.Established by the Council of Europe, … has a membership of 34 states. The Group looks at addiction in Europe and aims to work at reducing demand and maintaining contact points for drug trafficking control at Europe's international airports. It seeks to widen Customs cooperation throughout Europe. With the opening up of Eastern Europe, the Group has been at the forefront in co-ordinating control efforts in the wider trading area, with the easier travel and transport facilities now available.

3.There are currently 179 countries in the … and it includes all the major Customs authorities. The … operates to standardize Customs procedures and legislation through international agreements, working in co-operation with the UN. It also has a significant part to play in Customs enforcement through its own enforcement committee by an exchange of information, particularly in the anti-drug field.

4.Did you know there is a …? The Association has offices in Washington, D.C., and in Mexico City. There are future plans for an office in Canada. The Association helps members in all three countries put … and its provisions to the best possible use. It also provides advice on distribution options, import-export concerns, Customs procedures, and licensing and foreign investment regulations.

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5.This organization exists to co-ordinate all EC anti-drugs work. It meets six times a year. It established the European Plan which is the basis for anti-drugs work throughout the EC; a European Drugs Intelligence Unit for exchange of information between EC states; and a European Drugs Monitoring Centre for researching drugs statistics. The name of this organization is …

6.The … calls for states to implement legislation for international cooperation between signatories in drug trafficking matters to: eliminate conflicts, freeze or seize proceeds of drug trafficking, ease extradiction, allow controlled deliveries, control traffic on the high seas, monitor precursor chemicals.

7.Formed in 1989 as an informal dialogue group of 12 economies, … has since become the primary regional vehicle for promoting open trade and practical economic co-operation. Today … is an economic forum composed of 18 of the world's most dynamic and diverse economies, all of which rim the Pacific. Collectively, the 18 members have a GNP of 56 percent of the world's annual output and more than 46 percent of the world's total merchandise trade.

VI. Fill in the missingwords. Choose from:

CUSTOMS OFFICIALS INTERCEPT ILLICIT DRUGS, IVORY AND CURRENCY IN GLOBAL ENFORCEMENT OPERATION

Brussels, 29 November 2012

Press Release1

A global enforcement operation targeting drugs (1) … by the World Customs Organization (WCO) in close (2) … with Japan Customs

1 http://www.wcoomd.org/en/media/newsroom/2012/november/operation-wes- terlies.aspx

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resulted in the seizure by Customs officials of 220 kg of narcotics worth about 15 million euro on the market and the arrest of 39 suspected traffickers.

Operation WESTERLIES aimed to (3) … trafficking of methamphetamines by air from Africa to Asia, based on heightened Customs controls on departing, in transit and arriving passengers at international airports located on routes known to be used by drug smugglers and organized criminals.

Held from 16-25 November this year, 82 Customs administrations and nine WCO Regional Intelligence Liaison Offices (RILOs) participated, actively supported by INTERPOL which formed part of the WESTERLIES Operational Coordination Unit (OCU) located at WCO headquarters for the duration of the Operation.

WESTERLIES specifically targeted methamphetamine manufactured in Africa or being exported there from which was destined for sale in countries in the Asia Pacific region and carried by passengers travelling to the region, more often than not, via international airports in Europe and the Middle East.

Of the more than 50 plus (4) … made by alert Customs officials at selected airports across the world, the illicit drugs haul totaled 220 kg of narcotic drugs, including 63 kg of methamphetamines and amphetamines as well as 58 kg of cocaine, with an approximate street value of 15 million euro.

Bonus finds made by Customs officials included 120 kg of elephant ivory (rough or worked), the trade in which is (5) … or regulated by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), and undeclared currency (2,400,000 US dollars and 600,000 euro).

The use of CENcomm, the WCO's (6) … and (7) … communication tool to (8) … operational information and intelligence, and the possibility to (9) … international police databases via INTERPOL's I- 24/7 tool contributed significantly to the success of Operation WESTERLIES.

«No country is now spared the scourge of drug trafficking», said WCO Secretary General, Kunio Mikuriya. «Operation WESTERLIES has shown that pooling our efforts and expertise in a (10) … manner and making best possible use of all available tools delivers noteworthy results», he added.

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Capacity building forms a strong component of all WCO enforcement operations and in the case of Operation WESTERLIES, training sessions were held for participating countries having expressed a need to (11) … the skills of their officials and drug detection kits were provided for each of the selected airports.

Commenting further, the Secretary General of the WCO said, «I am really pleased that the WCO global capacity building programme is beginning to show good results, evidenced by, for example, the enthusiastic participation and active contribution of African Customs administrations in the course of the Operation».

Over and above the seizures made, the (12) … objectives of Operation WESTERLIES were met, namely the identification of individuals and corporate entities implicated in trafficking, and the gathering of information on the status of methamphetamine being trafficked by air.

Information obtained during the Operation will be further evaluated and analyzed in order to (13) … relevant existing risk (14) … and targeting criteria used by Customs administrations and other actors involved in combating the (15) … drug trade.

Investigations are continuing.

VII. Match the name of the UN bodies on the left with their brief descriptions on the right:

UN BODIES

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information.

1.The WCO's activities.

2.Customs' image of today.

3.Customs' image of the future, as you see it.

4.The way the WCO helps Customs Services throughout the world adapt to changing circumstances and modernize to keep pace with global demand.

5.The WCO's enforcement strategy.

6.Counterfeiting and piracy as a global challenge of the 21st century.

DO IT FOR FUN

I. Unjumble the letters in brackets to fill in the gaps in the sentences.

1.The Seminar was concluded with an official dinner … by the Directorate. (dehtos)

2.The progress made toward the achievement of those goals will be … by the Council each year. (vatedauel)

3.The plan … measurable goals for each key activity. (sponcastiarter)

II. Choose the right word.

1. The briefing was followed by a three-days seminar which was exclusively … for the Customs officers.

a. meant b. chosen c. done d. held

2. The Concept of Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) should be … between the Customs and various trade organizations.

a. done b. developed c. written d. considered

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III. What do the following abbreviations used by the WCO stand for?

UNIT 17. CUSTOMS CONVENTIONS

Study the following words and word combinations from the text.

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