Coordinated Border Management: the Experience of Asia and the Pacific Region

Asia and the Pacific region is becoming the center of global attention due to its rapid economic growth in the past few decades. The global financial crisis has made it imperative for the countries in the region to take measures to stimulate domestic demand and to increase intra-regional trade to sustain the growth momentum. As the regional arm of the United Nations, the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) has been working with its member countries to address the barriers that impede trade and transport in the region. ESCAP has taken various initiatives to promote the regional connectivity holistically by narrowing the infrastructure gaps as well as minimizing the institutional deficiencies. Coordinated border management is an important component of the latter. Border delays constitute a major bottleneck to the smooth movement of goods in the region and countries in the region are taking concerted measures to address these issues. Experience has shown that there are various approaches to coordinated border management and some of the better practices demand detailed and careful planning. In particular, border agencies – specifically Customs – need to redefine their standalone role and more importantly, their role as part of the coordinated border management team.