Working Draft—Please Do Not Cite Without Author’s Permission
Vorbach ISA 2005
8
and purchase points. Between October of 1995 and October of 2000, the Customs Service
attributed the seizure of nearly 300,000 pounds of illegal drugs to either “foreign intercepts”
or “domestic assists” by industry partners.
21
The reach of this new thinking began to grow beyond the terrestrial borders of the
United States. Relevant IGOs and NGOs began to embrace the BASC concept and fold it
into efforts with the potential for wider impact. Based on an agreement arrived at in 1996
between the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and the World Customs
Organization (WCO), businesses and customs administrations around the world agreed to
pursue greater efficiency in customs processes. A Mattel corporation executive who was part
of the initial BASC initiative, and who served as the head of the ICC’s Committee on
Customs and Trade Regulations, argued in 1997 that partnerships like BASC should be
“applied internationally without delay.”
22
In early 1999, the WCO expanded its existing
MOU program
23
by incorporating the tenets of the BASC program.
24
In May of 2001, a
“World Congress on BASC and Cooperation Programs” was held in Cartagena, Colombia, an
event that reflected growing interest in the BASC concept.
25
One U.S. Customs official
familiar with WCO initiatives and the Cartagena conference suggested that the businesses
participating in BASC and other similar cooperation programs were using the initiative to
21
Department of Treasury, U. S. Customs Service, PowerPoint slide entitled “Industry Partnership Program,”
provided to author by electronic mail on 06 July 2001 by Mr. Ed Moriarty.
22
Fermin Cuza, “Business and Customs Must Join Forces Against Drug Smuggling,” The International Herald
Tribune, 16 July 1997 (accessed 14 December 2000); available from
http://www.iccwbo.org/home/news_archives/1997/business_and_customs.asp.
23
The 1991 G7 Summit in London gave the WCO a mandate to develop a plan for getting customs agencies to
establish Memoranda of Understanding with businesses. By winter of 1998, 35 countries had established such
MOUs and the WCO had 18 MOUs with world trade associations. Information taken from WCO Action/Defis
Bulletin, Winter 1998 (accessed 14 December 2000); available from
http://www.wcoomd.org/ENF/ACTDIF/1998/Wco1.htm.
24
WCO Business Partnership Bulletin, Winter 1999 (accessed 14 December 2000); available from
http://www.wcoomd.org/ENF/ACTDIF/1999/Wco-eng.htm.
25
Additional information can be found online (accessed 05 July 2001); available from http://www.basc-
colombia.com.
Convention