International trade
underwent a major reorganization after the end of World War II with the signing
of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) in 1947. This was followed
with the conclusion of a Convention establishing a Customs Cooperation Council
(CCC Convention) in 1950, demonstrating a determined effort by the respective
contracting parties (CPs) to cooperate on issues regarding Customs. The CCC
Convention created a Customs Cooperation Council (CCC), the present-day World
Customs Organization (WCO), that has played a major role in transforming
national and global Customs operations. The CCC Convention entered into force
in November 1952, and it has consolidated itself as an anchor of global
cooperation in Customs matters. The CCC now has 186 members, who among them,
process 98% of global trade. It has eased with the seamless flow of goods in
international trade. The legal texts of the CCC Convention have contributed
towards effective cooperation among Customs administrations in the world. This
paper is a textual analysis of the CCC Convention.