Description
The Automated System for Customs Data (ASYCUDA) is the largest technical cooperation programme of UNCTAD. It has supported over 100 developing economies in digitalizing customs and facilitating trade, and has continuously evolved by adapting new technology, to improve efficiency, strengthen transparency and build more resilient and inclusive trade systems.
Digital transformation is no longer only about automating Customs procedures. The present challenge is to connect Customs, Partner Government Agencies, ports, logistics operators, traders and other supply-chain stakeholders around trusted data, coordinated processes and risk-based decision-making.
The future of trade facilitation is not simply a paperless Customs processing environment. It is a connected, interoperable and coordinated border ecosystem in which trusted data moves efficiently between government and supply-chain stakeholders, enabling faster decisions, stronger controls and greater resilience.
This responds directly to ASYCUDA’s strategic direction of setting up a conducive environment to streamline processes and exchange trade-related data and documentation, while advancing border-agency coordination and cooperation. It also reflects where the Customs conversation is moving in 2026: interoperability, trusted data exchange, secure digital pathways, risk management, resilience and multi-stakeholder collaboration.
Programme
Opening remarks and presentation of the panelists by the Session’s moderator.
Questions
- Many developing countries and Small Island Developing States are pursuing digital transformation through initiatives such as ASYCUDA, Single Window platforms, and broader supply chain digitalization. From a government leadership perspective, what were the challenges faced by your country during this digital transformation? What can countries do to accelerate this digital transformation and ensure its long-term sustainability? What institutional coordination mechanisms and strategic partnerships are needed to build an integrated digital trade and supply chain ecosystem that enhances competitiveness, resilience, and economic development?
- Customs digitalization has advanced significantly with solutions such as ASYCUDA, improving clearance efficiency and risk management. However, when other border agencies maintain fragmented processes and information requirements, the benefits of digitalization can be constrained. From your country’s perspective, what are the limitations of Customs-led digitalization, and how essential is a National Single Window to achieving genuine end-to-end digital transformation across border agencies and strengthening overall supply chain resilience?
- As Customs administrations increasingly leverage ASYCUDA to process and manage trade data, and make use of platforms such as ASYHUB to facilitate the secure exchange of information across borders, should the primary objective be to collect even more data from traders and supply chain actors, or to make better and smarter use of the information that already exists? In your view, how can data sharing and interoperability through ASYCUDA components help Customs strengthen risk management, improve trade facilitation, and enhance supply chain resilience without increasing burdens on the private sector?
- ASYCUDA has long played a central role in automating Customs declarations and streamlining border procedures. Looking ahead, how can emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning be leveraged within platforms like ASYCUDA to enhance risk management, predictive analytics, and supply chain visibility, and what policy, governance, and regulatory reforms are needed to ensure these innovations deliver both trade facilitation and resilience outcomes?
Interactive Discussion (Q&A)
Panelists
- His Excellency Mr. Moustoifa Hassani Mohamed, Minister of Economy, Industry, Investment and Economic Integration of the Union of the Comoros
- Mr. Kirk Benjamin, Commissioner / CEO of the Jamaica Customs Agency
- Mr. Misbah Khalil, President of the Supreme Council of Customs of the Lebanese Republic
- Mr. Ernest Sigande, Commissioner Customs Services of the Zambia Revenue Authority
Moderator
- Reza Mohammadi, Programme Management Officer, UNCTAD/ASYCUDA Programme
H.E. Moustoifa Hassani Mohamed currently serves as Minister of Economy, Industry, Investment and Economic Integration of the Union of the Comoros, with responsibility for trade, industry, investment policy and regional economic integration.
He began his career in customs administration after graduating from the Senegal Customs School in 1992. Between 1995 and 2017, he worked with the inspection company Cotecna, including a posting in Iraq from 1999 to 2001 as an expert for the United Nations Oil-for-Food Programme. Upon his return to the Comoros, he was appointed Head of the Customs Office in 2017 and later Director General of Customs in 2021, where he led institutional reforms to modernize the administration and represented the country in international customs and trade forums.
Since joining the Government in 2024, Minister Hassani Mohamed has been a strong advocate for economic transformation, customs modernization and digital trade integration. He has represented the Comoros at high-level events, including the WTO Public Forum, the World Economic Forum and Investopia, where he has presented the country’s investment and trade strategies under the Emerging Comoros 2030 Plan.
He possesses extensive expertise in customs modernization and regional economic integration, particularly within the frameworks of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and Economic Partnership Agreements with the European Union. He is recognized for his leadership in advancing regulatory reform and promoting the digital transformation of trade systems. His technical knowledge, institutional experience and active engagement in international policy dialogues make him a prominent voice in global discussions on trade facilitation and inclusive economic development, especially for developing and small island economies.
