Revised+Kyoto+Convention+(RKC)

The revised Kyoto Convention (RKC) is the main trade facilitation Customs convention and entered into force on 3 February 2006. It is an update and revision of the International Convention on the Simplification and Harmonization of Customs Procedures (Kyoto Convention) of 1974. The RKC aims at facilitating trade by harmonizing and simplifying Customs procedures and practices. To this end the Convention provides standards and recommended practices for modern Customs procedures and techniques.

Countries wishing to become a contracting party to this international convention have to accept the Body and the General Annex to the RKC, which are binding. The General Annex of the RKC commits contracting parties to the following key principles:
 * transparency and predictability of Customs actions;
 * standardization and simplification of the goods declaration and supporting documents;
 * simplified procedures for authorized persons;
 * maximum use of information technology;
 * minimum necessary Customs control to ensure compliance with regulations;
 * use of risk management and audit-based controls;
 * coordinated interventions with other border agencies; and
 * partnership with the trade.

The WCO is the depositary of the Convention, where countries need to deposit their instrument of ratification. The Convention is administered by the WCO Management Committee to the RKC. Only contracting parties have a vote, but all others can attend as observers. The Management Committee has no enforcement or dispute-settlement function in the case where a contracting party does not comply with the standards contained in the RKC. Countries having acceded to this Convention have three years to implement the standards and five years to implement the transitional standards contained in the General Annex.

The WCO promotes the implementation of the Convention through awareness raising, training and capacity-building initiatives. As of November 2011 there were 78 contracting parties. The[| text of the convention] and additional information on the RKC can be found [|on its website]. Note that the guidelines to the RKC are not part of this wiki and are available from the WCO for a fee.

Pages where the RKC is referenced are the following:
Advance ruling Appeal system and procedures Authorized Traders Clearance Coordinated Intervention Cross-border management and Customs page Customs Automation Customs Broker Customs Risk Management De minimis Declaration Trade data Definitions Formal trade consultation General measures Guarantee and Security International Transit Joint border controls Opening Hours Pre-arrival processing Process related measures Publication Release time Supporting documents