Editing World Customs Organization (section)

==History==
On 23 August 1947 the Committee for European Economic Cooperation created a European Customs Union Study Group (ECUSG) to examine economic and technical issues of inter-European Customs Union concerning the rules of the [[General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade]] (GATT). In total, six ECUSG meetings were held in four years from November 1947 to June 1950.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Kormych|first1=Borys|date=2018-01-28|title=The European Customs Union Study Group: Drafting the EU Customs Law|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/321906045|format=PDF|journal=European Political and Law Discourse|language=en|volume=4|issue=6|issn=2336-5439}}</ref> This work of ECUSG led to the adoption in 1950 of the '''Convention establishing the Customs Co-operation Council''' (CCC), which was signed in Brussels. On 26 January 1953<ref name=oma/> the CCC's inaugural session took place with the participation of 17 founding members. CCC membership subsequently expanded to cover all regions of the globe.  In 1994, the organization adopted its current name, the World Customs Organization. Today, WCO members are responsible for customs controls in [[Member states of the World Customs Organization|186 countries]] representing more than 98 percent of all international trade.<ref name=oma>{{Cite web |title=Organización Mundial de Aduanas OMA |trans-title=World Customs Organization WCO |author=<!--not stated--> |website=Chile Aduanas (Customs) |date=<!--not stated--> |access-date=16 September 2021 |url= https://www.aduana.cl/organizacion-mundial-de-aduanas-oma/aduana/2007-03-01/121223.html |language=es }}</ref>

One of the major turning points in the WCO’s history was its expansion beyond Europe, which allowed it to become a truly global organization. This expansion was fueled by the recognition of the need for standardized customs procedures across different regions of the world, particularly in the post-colonial period when many new nations were emerging. The WCO played a crucial role in helping these nations establish efficient customs administrations.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |last=Weerth |first=C. |date=2017 |title=The World Customs Organization: A history of 65 years of growth and its legal milestones |journal=Customs Scientific Journal CUSTOMS |volume=7 |issue=2 |pages=17–24}}</ref> In the 21st century, the WCO has emphasized digitalization and the harmonization of customs systems to address the challenges of global e-commerce and cross-border trade.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Blegen |first=Bryce |url=https://researchoutput.csu.edu.au/en/publications/the-e-commerce-revolution-amp-cross-border-goods-clearance-time-f |title=The E-Commerce Revolution & Cross-Border Goods Clearance: Time for Fundamental Change? |date=October 2023 |publisher=Charles Sturt University |location=Australia}}</ref>