Improving the Border Agency Cooperation
Among the OIC Member States for Facilitating Trade
13
Table below presents a set of common tasks – derived from the literature - performed at the
border and the authority that is typically mandated with the role to perform the task in
question. Furthermore, Annex A presents a more comprehensive and detailed list of border
control tasks.8
Table 2. Typical tasks and responsibilities of border control agencies
Task Typically responsible authority
Collection of taxes, duties and excise Customs, taxation, treasury, energy (mineral
tax)
Control of war material and dual-use goods Customs and defence agency
Compilation of trade statistics National statistics bureau and customs
Passport controls Border guard, customs and police
Immigration Immigration, foreign affair authorities,
customs and police
Product safety Customs, trading standards and health
authorities
Enforcement of intellectual property rights Customs and trading standards
Fight against drug trafficking Police and customs
Transport safety Transport safety authority, customs
Transport security Transport security authority, customs, police
and intelligence service
Control of CITES-products (endangered
species)
Environmental authorities and customs
Controls of pests, plant diseases and
extraneous species (i.e., phytosanitary
controls)
Agriculture authorities and environmental
authorities
Animal quarantine Agriculture authorities and environmental
authorities
Source: Table adapted from Poutiainen, M., WCO News 2015, and Aniszewski 2009
1.1.3. Benefits of international Border Agency Cooperation
Prospective benefits of Border Agency Cooperation explain its increasing popularity at various
policy-making arenas. Governments may expect Border Agency Cooperation to enhance tax
collection, achieve higher trader compliance, and improve resource efficiency through
elimination of duplicated and overlapping activities.9 Wider exchange of trade information and
intelligence between border agencies and across borders would improve accuracy of risk
assessment of cargo movements and result in better targeted interventions. There might be
benefits of international scale if border control agencies in neighbouring countries invested
jointly in common screening equipment, information and communication technologies (ICT) /
systems and facilities. Coordinated maintenance and staff training bring further cost savings.
Also, if border control agencies coordinated their inspections, streamlined their operations
8 As a list produced by CBRA during the study.
9 Trade Facilitation Implementation Guide (accessed 19 April 2016).