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  4. Ian Saunders, Secretary General-Elect of the World Customs Organization

Ian Saunders, Secretary General-Elect of the World Customs Organization

Driving Customs toward a Safe, Prosperous, and Inclusive Future

Ian Saunders
U.S. Candidate for Secretary General of the World Customs Organization

Ian Saunders is a proven and principled leader with more than 20 years of customs experience and 30 years of experience in international relations. A member of the U.S. Government Senior Executive Service since 2008, Mr. Saunders has a record of addressing complex challenges and elevating organizations to excellence. He has served the public and the international community in diverse and challenging roles focused on various facets of trade: customs, commercial policy, travel, and infrastructure. Collaborative in style, considered in communication, and accomplished in delivery, Mr. Saunders has led the implementation of programs, formulation of policies, and forging of partnerships that have advanced facilitation and security in trade worldwide.

Ian Saunders delivering keynotes at International Customs Day.

Mr. Saunders has been at the forefront of customs’ evolution from a purely revenue-generating enterprise to one that has adopted a proactive enforcement posture to safeguard our societies from the cross-border movement of illicit goods and bad actors. After the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States, Mr. Saunders supported development of the SAFE Framework and promoted its global implementation via the WCO. He continues to advocate for coordinated border management to respond to supply chain disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, criminal exploitation of e-commerce shipments, the adverse effects of climate change, and other contemporary threats. Mr. Saunders is committed to providing pragmatic, accountable leadership that will empower customs agencies to address these challenges.

CBP Officer Reynolds describes how the X-ray van is utilized in the cargo inspection process.

Parallel to its efforts to ensure safety, customs must sustain its tradition of facilitating trade to promote global prosperity. In his current role as a senior leader at the U.S. Department of Commerce, Mr. Saunders has implemented policies, programs, and strategies that have strengthened commercial cooperation throughout the Western Hemisphere. Mr. Saunders’ deep understanding of the needs of customs and the trade community enables him to forge strong and enduring public-private partnerships. He is committed to ensuring predictability and consistency for customs, the trade community, and the public by fully implementing the WCO’s flagship instruments. While respecting the WCO’s rich past, Mr. Saunders recognizes the need to innovate and adapt to modern challenges. He will leverage his experience negotiating information sharing arrangements and leading global technology exchanges to help customs agencies harness new trade facilitation technologies while protecting sensitive business information. Mr. Saunders recognizes that a key to balancing the new with the old is to ensure that the WCO’s working bodies have feasible, time-bound scopes of work that are cost-effective and aligned with the organization’s strategic priorities.

Ian Saunders conversing past practices with customs leaders.

Inclusivity is fundamental to the continued success of the WCO and to the effectiveness of global customs cooperation. Mr. Saunders made responsiveness to members a hallmark of his leadership of the WCO’s Permanent Technical Committee. Through his experience overseeing U.S. Customs and Border Protection capacity building initiatives, Mr. Saunders developed a keen awareness of member needs and an effective approach to delivering solutions that enabled partners to tackle local problems while strengthening their ability to participate at the international level. He understands that the global customs community is strongest when it welcomes a diversity of thought and experience. Mr. Saunders is committed to transparency and openness as fundamental principles of good governance and as keys to realizing a safe, prosperous, and inclusive future.

Mr. Saunders has dedicated himself to improving the lives of all touched by the customs community and will bring that dedication to the post of Secretary General.
 

  • Ian Saunders' Campaign Trailer

    Campaign trailer for Ian Saunders, U.S. candidate for Secretary General of the World Customs Organization (WCO). In this video, he provides an overview of the important role of global trade while highlighting his vision for the future of the WCO.

    Caption for Campaign Trailer

  • Bande-annonce de la Campagne d'Ian Saunders

    Bande-annonce de la campagne d'Ian Saunders, candidat américain au poste de Secrétaire général de l'Organisation mondiale des douanes (OMD). Dans cette vidéo, il donne un aperçu du rôle important du commerce mondial tout en soulignant sa vision pour l'avenir de l'OMD.

    Légende de la Campagne

Please provide appropriate credit when using photographs in digital and print media. Please click on an image to get the high resolution copy.

Ian Saunders delivers keynote at Black History Month event.
Ian Saunders discusses his campaign with one of the guests at his reception.
Ian Saunders discussing the WCO campaign with a customs partner.
Ian Saunders enjoying a discussion about the future of trade with a delegate.
Ian Saunders speaking to a group on the 4 pillars of his WCO campaign.
Ian Saunders speaking with female customs partners regarding his campaign.
Ian Saunders at the U.S. Department of State.
Ian Saunders at the WCO Fragile Borders Conference.
Ian Saunders attends the WCO Fragile Borders Conference.
Ian Saunders with Jordan Customs Officials, including the Director General.
Ian Saunders with New Zealand Customs Service organizers of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Gender Equality in Customs Workshop.
Ian Saunders with a Japanese Customs representative to the APEC Gender Equality in Customs Workshop.
Ian Saunders presents at the 2023 Asia Pacific Economical Collaboration (APEC) event.
Ian Saunders recording his first podcast episode.
Ian Saunders poses for a photo with the San Diego Deputy Director of Field Operations Anne Maricich.
Ian Saunders talks with colleagues from Kuwait Customs, including the Director General.
Ian Saunders with The Honorable Candace A. Bond, US Ambassador to Trinidad and Tobago.
Ian Saunders with the Director General of Yemen Customs.
CBP Officer Reynolds demonstrates the use of a Viken imaging device.
Ian Saunders with officials.
Inspecting cargo with CBP Agriculture Specialist Evans.
Inspecting cargo with CBP Agriculture Specialist Evans, left and supervisory CBP Agriculture Specialist Casperson.
Ian Saunders looking at counterfeit merchandise with CBP Officer Sanders.
Ian Saunders discussing the importance of customs' role in the WCO.
Ian Saunders inspecting seized counterfeit Apple accessories with CBP Officer Miller.
Ian Saunders learning about the Viken technology used in CBP exams.
Ian Saunders observing x-ray exams.
Ian Saunders performing an agriculture inspection with CBP Agriculture Specialist Evans.
Ian Saunders with CBP Officer Sanders looking at counterfeit products found from inspections.
Ian Saunders witnessing the cargo examination process.
Ian Saunders thanks foreign leaders for their support at his reception.
Ian Saunders with delegates of Madagascar and Panama.
Saunders Delivering His Candidature Speech
Ian Saunders Delivering His Candidature Speech
Ian Saunders Poses for Photos After Securing the WCO SG Election Victory
Ian Saunders Posing with Chairperson Ahmed Al-Khalifa, WCO SG Kunio Mikuriya, and Chairperson-Elect Edward Kieswetter
Ian Saunders Posing with WCO Members After His Victory as SG-Elect
Ian Saunders Ready for the Vote on Election Day at the WCO
WCO Members Watching Saunders Deliver His Candidature Speech
Ian Saunders with WCO Members

Join Mr. Saunders, and host David Quiñones, on a deep dive into Mr. Saunders’ campaign. View the complete series on https://www.dvidshub.net/podcast/569/the-ian-saunders-campaign-podcast. Please provide appropriate credit when linking to podcasts.

Episodes

The Ian Saunders Campaign Podcast – Episode 5: Advance

 

El Podcast de la Campaña de Ian Saunders - Episodio 5: Avanzar

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The Ian Saunders Campaign Podcast – Episode 4: Engage

 

El Podcast de la Campaña de Ian Saunders - Episodio 4: Interactuar

 


 

The Ian Saunders Campaign Podcast – Episode 3: Evolve

 

El Podcast de la Campaña de Ian Saunders - Episodio 3: Evolucionar

 


 

The Ian Saunders Campaign Podcast – Episode 2: Deliver

In this second edition podcast, he discusses one of his four campaign pillars, deliver.

El Podcast de la Campaña de Ian Saunders - Episodio 2: Proveer

En esta segunda edición del podcast, él discute uno de sus cuatro pilares de campaña, proveer.


The Ian Saunders Campaign Podcast - Episode 1: Protect

In this podcast, he discusses one of the four pillars of his campaign, Protect.

El podcast de la campaña de Ian Saunders - Episodio 1: Proteger

En este podcast, habla sobre uno de los cuatro pilares de su campaña, Proteger.

Last Modified: Apr 19, 2024