This book will take the reader through the past the present and into the future of the flagship institution of the international customs community the World Customs Organization WCO. The purpose is to present to the reader in a comprehensive orderly and synthetic manner the enormous contributions that this prestigious and recognized institution has been making to the secure growth of global international trade. In the development of the text special consideration has been given to the relevant instruments in daytoday customs work which constitute the bases of the WCO the Harmonized System Convention the Revised Kyoto Convention and the SAFE Framework of Standards among many others as well as those issues that are currently of specific interest to the global customs community crossborder ecommerce trade facilitation and authorized economic operator to mention but a few trying to reconcile the various practical aspects of customs operations with their theoretical underpinnings.