WELL, HERE WE ARE--
THE INAUGURAL COPES 2015 CONFERENCE IN LIMA, PERU.
THIS IS A CULMINATION OF 10 YEARS OF HARD WORK
BY THE WORLD CUSTOMS ORGANIZATION,
ITS MEMBERS AND DONORS.
SO COME ON. LET'S GO INTO COPES 2015.
THE WORLD CUSTOMS ORGANIZATION'S
COMPENDIUM OF CUSTOMS OPERATIONAL PRACTICES
FOR ENFORCEMENT AND SEIZURES,
OR COPES 2015,
WAS A WORKSHOP HELD IN LIMA, PERU,
FROM JULY 16TH THROUGH THE 23RD OF 2015.
THE PURPOSE OF THE COPES WORKSHOP WAS TO ENGAGE
WITH THE PERUVIAN CUSTOMS ORGANIZATION SUNAT
ON CUSTOMS ISSUES AND PRACTICES
RELATED TO ENFORCEMENT AND SEIZURES,
AND TO OPENLY DISCUSS PERUVIAN CAPABILITIES AND NEEDS
THAT THE WORLD CUSTOMS ORGANIZATION CAN ASSIST WITH.
[SPEAKING SPANISH]
WELL, FIRST I'D LIKE TO SAY PERU IS
A VERY SIGNIFICANT PARTNER IN THE OVERALL DEVELOPMENT EFFORT.
NOW WE HAVE THE OFFICIAL LAUNCH.
AND THERE'S A WORKSHOP PROGRAM.
PERU READILY STEPPED FORWARD TO PARTNER WITH US AND THE WCO
TO GIVE THIS A ROAD TEST.
THE GOOD NEWS IS THERE'S ALREADY BEEN
A GREAT EFFORT UNDERWAY BILATERALLY
WITH THE U.S. AND PERU.
WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THEM THROUGH CAPACITY BUILDING
AND TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.
AND THEY'VE BEEN MAKING MORE SEIZURES THAN EVER BEFORE.
AND I WOULD ATTRIBUTE A LOT OF THIS TO MR. BRYAN PICADO,
WHO IS OUR ADVISER HERE IN LIMA.
HIS EFFORTS HAVE REALLY TAKEN PERU TO THE NEXT LEVEL.
AND THEN, FINALLY, WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THEM
AS WE GO FORWARD
AND ALSO SHARE OUR EXPERIENCES WITH THEM
TO SEE JUST HOW FAR THEY CAN TAKE IT.
MICHAEL POPE: THE PERUVIAN GOVERNMENT HAS PLAYED
AN ACTIVE ROLE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE WCO COPES
SINCE 2010,
AS PERU IS THE FIRST COUNTRY IN SOUTH AMERICA
TO HOST A COPES WORKSHOP.
AS A MOTIVATED BILATERAL PARTNER
IN TESTING THIS NEW TRAINING PROGRAM,
THE PERUVIAN GOVERNMENT
TRANSLATED THE NEW PROGRAM TO SPANISH
AND READILY CONTRIBUTED CASE STUDIES
TO USE IN THE WORKSHOPS.
THE COPES TRAINING WILL SOON BE DELIVERED
IN MULTILATERAL GLOBAL SETTINGS
IN THE 6 WCO REGIONS OF THE WORLD.
IT'S VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE OUR GOAL IS TO STANDARDIZE,
TO HARMONIZE THIS PROGRAM WORLDWIDE.
WE ARE COVERING PRESENTLY 6 REGIONS.
AND THIS IS THE FIRST REGION.
WE'D LIKE TO NEXT FOCUS ON AFRICA
AND THEN, ULTIMATELY, ALL OF THE OTHER REGIONS.
BUT THIS GETS IT OUT THERE.
IT GETS, YOU KNOW, THE WORD OUT.
AND IT'S BASICALLY OUR PILOT.
POPE: PERUVIAN CUSTOMS, SUNAT,
AND OTHER PERUVIAN LAW ENFORCEMENT ENTITIES
ATTENDING THE TRAINING AGREED
THAT THE TRAINING SERVED A USEFUL PURPOSE.
BY ENGAGING ALL PERUVIAN CUSTOMS AND ENFORCEMENT PARTNERS
IN THIS FORUM STRENGTHENS
THE PRACTICES OF CUSTOMS ADMINISTRATIONS WORLDWIDE
TO BEST DEAL
WITH THE CHALLENGES RELATED TO INTERNATIONAL SMUGGLING.
AND THE NATION OF PERU WAS
THE FIRST COUNTRY TO OPEN ITS DOORS
TO THIS NEW WAY OF STANDARDIZING THESE CRITICAL PROCESSES.
[IVAN LUYO SPEAKING SPANISH]
TRANSLATOR: WE'RE VERY HAPPY TO BE HERE IN PERU
TO ACTUALLY HOST,
BE THE FIRST LOCATION WHERE THIS EVENT
IS BEING HELD.
AND I BELIEVE THIS IS AN EXTRAORDINARY INITIATIVE
TO ORGANIZE ALL THE EFFORT THAT THEY DO AT CUSTOMS OFFICES
ALL OVER THE WORLD
TO FIGHT AGAINST ORGANIZED CRIME,
INTERNATIONAL CRIME,
TO STRUGGLE AGAINST THE FIGHT AGAINST DRUGS, CONTRABAND,
PEOPLE TRAFFICKING,
AND OTHER SERIOUS CRIMES
THAT AFFECT COUNTRIES ALL OVER THE WORLD.
THE U.S. EMBASSY AND PERU, WE'RE PARTNERS--STRATEGIC PARTNERS
IN THE FIGHT AGAINST PEOPLE TRAFFICKING, CONTRABAND,
AND SERIOUS CRIMES.
WE HAVE A COMMON GOAL TO FIGHT INTERNATIONAL CRIME.
AND WE FEEL VERY PLEASED TO HAVE THEIR SUPPORT.
THEY'RE ALWAYS GIVING US HELP.
POPE: AFTER RECEIVING BRIEFINGS FROM SUNAT OFFICIALS,
THE U.S. AND WCO DELEGATION ALSO WITNESSED
RIGOROUS CONTAINER EXAMINATIONS AT THE SEAPORT OF CALLAO,
WHERE PERUVIAN CUSTOMS OFFICIALS
USING HIGH-TECH SCANNING EQUIPMENT,
K-9 ASSETS, AND CUSTOMS EXPERTS
ENGAGED ITS U.S. AND WCO PARTNERS
IN PORT EXAMINATION OPERATIONS ONSITE.
WHAT WE HAVE SEEN IS THAT THEY HAVE GOOD PRACTICES,
THEY HAVE SOLID PRACTICES.
AND AS THEY GO FORWARD AND IF THEY INCREASE THEIR ABILITY
TO MAKE MORE SEIZURES
AND THEY'RE MAKING SEIZURES OF DIFFERENT COMMODITIES,
THEY MAY NEED TO UPGRADE THEIR SECURITY POSTURE,
UPGRADE THEIR EQUIPMENTS
SO THAT THEY HAVE THE PROPER SAFES, THE VAULTS,
THE PROCEDURES TO ACCOUNT FOR HIGH-RISK PROPERTY
AS WELL.
SO WHAT WE SEE WITH THEM IS A COUNTRY THAT REALLY HAS
A SOLID FOUNDATION TO WORK WITH.
AND THEIR OPENNESS TO TAKING ON NEW IDEAS IS REALLY REFRESHING
AND VERY EXCITING.
POPE: DURING THE MANY VISITS TO THE PERUVIAN GOVERNMENT'S
CUSTOMS AND ENFORCEMENT OPERATIONS LOCATIONS,
REPRESENTATIVES FROM CBP, INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS,
FIELD OPERATIONS, AND INTERNAL AFFAIRS,
ALONG WITH U.S. IMMIGRATION
AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT REPRESENTATIVES LEARNED
A GREAT DEAL ABOUT PERUVIAN PRACTICES.
BUT THEY ALSO SHARED CRITICAL GUIDANCE
AND PROCEDURAL INFORMATION WITH THEIR PERUVIAN COUNTERPARTS.
TASHA REID HIPPOLYTE: ONE OF THE THINGS
THAT HAS WORKED VERY WELL HERE IN PERU WITH THE COPES FORUM
HAS BEEN THE PRE-SITE VISITS,
GETTING AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEE THE WAREHOUSES,
GETTING AN OPPORTUNITY TO SIT DOWN
WITH SOME OF THE SENIOR LEADERS AND SUNAT
AND THEN THE PERU BORDER MANAGEMENT AGENCIES TO DISCUSS
SOME OF THEIR BEST PRACTICES, SOME OF THEIR LEGAL AUTHORITIES,
AND IN THAT TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE CHALLENGES
THAT THEY FACE.
AND SO WHEN YOU HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY OF SHOWING SUPPORT
FROM YOUR SENIOR LEADERS TO THE WORKING LEVEL FOLKS,
IT REALLY DOES SHOW THAT SENIOR MANAGEMENT IS ENGAGED,
THEY'RE INTERESTED, AND THEY CARE,
AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO THEM.
AND IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT
TO THE FOLKS THAT ARE IN THE CLASSROOM
TO GET THAT VISUAL BECAUSE THAT LETS THEM KNOW
THIS IS THE WAY FORWARD.
I'M ENJOYING IT IMMENSELY
BECAUSE, I MEAN, I'M EXCITED
BY THEIR PARTICIPATION, THEIR ENGAGEMENT.
WE'RE SHOWING THEM SOME GREAT NEW TECHNIQUES,
WHICH THEY HAVEN'T BEEN EXPOSED TO BEFORE.
AND I THINK THEY'RE REALLY LEARNING ABOUT
SOME OF THE METHODOLOGY THAT WE HAVE USED.
AND WHAT I HOPE THEY'LL DO IS TAKE IT AWAY FROM HERE,
ADAPT IT FOR THEIR OWN USE, AND PUT IT INTO PRACTICE
AND THEN TURN IT INTO MAKING THEIR SERVICES
MUCH MORE EFFICIENT AND MORE PROFESSIONAL.
WE'RE MAKING IT INTERACTIVE,
GIVING THEM OPPORTUNITIES TO TAKE PART,
TO DO THINGS THEY DON'T NORMALLY DO.
SO FROM A TRAINING POINT OF VIEW,
IT'S NEW AND IT'S DIFFERENT.
IT'S REFRESHING.
AND I THINK THEY'RE TAKING IT IN.
POPE: THE COPES WORKSHOP CONTAINED MODULES
ON RISK MANAGEMENT, LOCAL LEGISLATION,
SEIZED PROPERTY MANAGEMENT, SHARING OF INFORMATION,
COORDINATED ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS AMONGST AGENCIES,
RECORDING OF INFORMATION IN CASE MANAGEMENT,
EVIDENCE HANDLING & CHAIN OF CUSTODY,
AS WELL
AS PRACTICAL INTERVIEWING FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT PURPOSES.
MOST TIMES, THE WCO MEMBERS, THE CUSTOMS ADMINISTRATIONS
ARE LOOKING AT THE FACT THAT THEY MADE A SEIZURE.
NOW WE'RE ACTUALLY LOOKING AT THE AFTER-EFFECTS
OR THE PROCESS THAT TAKE PLACE AFTER THE SEIZURE
TO SECURE THOSE PROPERTIES
AND TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CASE IS PROPERLY ADJUDICATED.
POPE: WITH ATTENDANCE
BY PERUVIAN GOVERNMENT HIGH LEVEL OFFICIALS
FROM SUNAT, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE,
THE PERUVIAN NATIONAL POLICE,
AND OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES,
THE WORKSHOP WAS A TESTAMENT
TO THE IMPORTANCE OF COORDINATED BORDER MANAGEMENT
IN THE EFFORT TO IMPROVE LAW ENFORCEMENT AND SEIZURES
ACCORDING TO GLOBAL BEST PRACTICES.
THAT PERU HAS REALLY TAKEN THIS ON AT--A COMPREHENSIVE WAY
AT THE TOP LEVEL AND DOWN,
STARTING WITH THEIR LEGAL FRAMEWORK
BUT ALSO WANTING TO PUT INTO PLACE A RANGE OF PRACTICES.
IT'S VERY EXPANSIVE, ALL THE THINGS THAT THEY CAN DO.
POPE: THE ATTENDEES FOCUSED ON
REAL EXAMPLES OF WORKING PRACTICES
AS WELL AS IDENTIFYING STUMBLING BLOCKS
TO EFFECTIVE ENFORCEMENT,
IN PARTICULAR PROCEDURES RELATED TO ENFORCEMENT AND SEIZURES
THAT WERE EFFECTIVELY SHARED
THROUGH EXCHANGES AMONGST EXPERTS FROM THE WCO, CBP,
AND THE PERUVIAN GOVERNMENT.
THIS PROGRAM, OR THIS PROJECT,
HAS THE AMBITION TO COVER CRADLE TO GRAVE
THE ACTIVITY OF THE CUSTOMS OFFICER.
THAT IS VERY NEW.
WE USED TO CONCENTRATE ON ONLY THE CUSTOMS ACTIVITY,
WHICH WE KNOW
CONTROL SEIZURES AND, ET CETERA,
ENSURE THE STORAGE OF SEIZURES,
AND SOMETIMES INVESTIGATE THE CASES.
AND BEFORE, WE WERE MORE CONCENTRATED
ON THE CUSTOMS ACTIVITY BUT NOT ON WHAT HAPPENS LATER,
WHICH MEANS INVESTIGATIONS AND PROSECUTIONS AND PRESENTATION
IN FRONT OF A COURT.
NOW WITH THIS NEW PROJECT,
WE WANT THE CUSTOMS BEING AWARE OF WHAT HAPPENS NEXT.
AND--WE CHOOSE, ALSO, A NEW FORM OF TRAINING,
WHICH IS VERY PRACTICAL AND VERY INTERACTIVE.
AND I THINK THAT THIS SHOULD HELP THE PERUVIANS
IN THEIR DAILY WORK.
AND, ALSO, THIS SEMINAR WILL HELP US AT WCO TO IMPROVE
OUR TRAINING MODULES.
POPE: COMBATING ILLEGAL DRUG SMUGGLING WAS
ONE OF THE PRIMARY ISSUES FOR THE PERUVIAN GOVERNMENT,
MAKING CUSTOMS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT CONTROLS
A PRIORITY FOR PERU.
SEIZURES OF DRUGS, MONEY, AND OTHER CONTRABAND ARE
COMPLEX AND SENSITIVE ISSUES IN PERU,
WHERE NUMEROUS LEGAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL ASPECTS CAUSE
FRICTIONS BETWEEN THE VARIOUS LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES.
TRANSLATOR: SOMETIMES WE HAVE-- IN THE FIELD,
SOMETIMES THERE'S THIS ENVIRONMENT OF JEALOUSY
BETWEEN INSTITUTIONS WHO SAY
THAT "THE WORK THAT THEY ARE DOING
IS NOT AS GOOD AS MY WORK,"
OR, "IT'S NOT IMPORTANT. IT'S NOT RELEVANT FOR US TO TAKE IT."
AND SO IF WE INTERNALIZE THAT THIS IS--TEAMWORK,
WE'LL ALL BE CONCERNED WITH A FINAL GOAL
BECAUSE MY PART WILL ENABLE THIS OTHER PART
AND THIS NEXT PART
AND WILL GET US TO THE END OF THE LINE.
EVENTS LIKE THIS HELP US REALIZE IT ALL THE TIME
BECAUSE THIS IS A MESSAGE THAT WE NEED TO STATE
OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
POPE: THE COPES PROGRAM CAME AT AN IMPORTANT TIME
FOR THE PERUVIAN OFFICIALS
AS THEY SEEK TO ALIGN THEIR LEGAL FRAMEWORK
AND ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITIES WITH THE GLOBAL STANDARDS
THAT THE COPES PROGRAM REPRESENTS.
TRANSLATOR: WELL, THIS COPES EXERCISE, THIS EXPERIENCE IS
A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW THE PROCEDURES
IN MATTERS OF SEIZURES, CONFISCATION,
AND OF NARCOTICS, OF DRUGS, CONTRABAND,
AND TO REVIEW CONSTANTLY, EVALUATE OUR WORK PERIODICALLY,
LEARN FROM EXPERIENCES FROM THE STATES
AND ALL OVER THE WORLD
AND ALSO COMMIT ENTITIES FROM OTHER PARTS OF THE GOVERNMENT
AND THE PRIVATE SECTOR
SO THAT WE CAN PRESENT A UNIFIED FRONT
AND A MORE EFFICIENT STRATEGY AGAINST CRIMES,
AGAINST ORGANIZED CRIME.
SO I BELIEVE THE COPES 2015 IS A BENCHMARK THAT WILL LET US
SHARE THESE EXPERIENCES WITH OTHER COUNTRIES.
POPE: FURTHER BILATERAL EXPERT ENGAGEMENT WILL OCCUR
IN THE COMING MONTHS
AS PERUVIAN AUTHORITIES PREPARE TO PRESENT A NEW LEGAL FRAMEWORK
TO THEIR CONGRESS.
THIS DRAFTING OF FRAMEWORK HAS BEEN ASSISTED AND INFORMED
BY THE ONGOING BILATERAL CUSTOMS COOPERATION ACTIVITIES
WITH THE U.S. EMBASSY IN LIMA.
ALBERTO RODRIGUEZ: HERE AT THE EMBASSY, WE HAVE
A MYRIAD OF LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES--
CBP, DEA, FBI.
AND WE ALL HAVE OUR LITTLE PIECE OF THE PIE.
OUR WORK HERE
AT THE INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT,
IT'S A BUREAU WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE
THAT WORKS ON STRENGTHENING THE INSTITUTION, EQUIPMENT,
AND TRAINING TO BE ABLE TO STRENGTHEN
THE GOVERNMENT OF PERU'S ABILITY
TO WORK IN THESE DIFFERENT AREAS.
SO WE HOPE TO INCREASE THAT INTEGRATION
WITH ALL OUR DIFFERENT AGENCIES WITH THE GOVERNMENT OF PERU.
THE CBP OFFICE HERE--WORKING WITH THE GOVERNMENT OF PERU
HAS HAD GREAT SUCCESS.
WE HOPE TO AMPLIFY THAT
AND TO INCREASE THE SUCCESSES IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
WELL, IT'S OVER--COPES 2015, THE INAUGURAL CONFERENCE.
GREAT SPONSORSHIP BY THE NATION OF PERU
AND WONDERFUL WORK
BY THE WORLD CUSTOMS ORGANIZATION,
U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION,
THE U.S. EMBASSY IN LIMA,
AND SUNAT FOR SPONSORING THIS EVENT.
I'M MICHAEL POPE.