Regional Inter-Agency Meeting on Combating Illegal Cross-Border Trafficking in Hazardous Waste and Addressing the Problem of Unclaimed Containers Held in the Philippines

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On November 24-28, 2025, the Regional Inter-Agency Meeting on Combating Illegal Cross-Border Trafficking in Hazardous Waste and Addressing the Problem of Unclaimed Containers organized by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) took place in Cebu, Philippines.

The event was part of the Project on Combating Illegal Cross-Border Trafficking in Hazardous Waste, funded by the Norwegian Agency for Development and Cooperation through the Passenger and Cargo Control Programme (PCCP), attracting the participation of representatives of law enforcement agencies (customs, environment, prosecution) from Cambodia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, as well as international organizations, port operators, shipping lines and customs brokers.

The discussion sessions focused on inspection, monitoring and risk assessment of scrap cargo, methods of detecting and handling unclaimed containers as well as sharing practical experiences from countries. The objective of the meeting was to create an effective forum to strengthen the capacity of relevant agencies, prevent illegal transportation and trade of hazardous waste/scrap, handle containers remaining at ports and promote cooperation and information exchange between the Port Control Group network and law enforcement forces in the region.

At the national presentation, representatives of the Vietnam Customs Department updated the situation of controlling scrap cargo and containers remaining at ports, shared difficulties and typical cases, and proposed solutions for future handling.

During the five working days, the meeting featured activities such as sharing the results of the Waste Project under the Passenger and Cargo Control Program (PCCP), best practices on hazardous waste control of Australian Customs and Customs in the region; learning about the European Union’s perspective on the cross-border transport of hazardous waste; visiting Cebu port to learn about the container screening process and Customs inspection process; in-depth training on the use of self-contained breathing apparatus commonly used in rescue, fire prevention and fighting, or toxic environments.

For Vietnam Customs, the event was an important opportunity to improve staff capacity, share experiences and promote international cooperation, contributing to strengthening the prevention and combat of illegal trafficking of hazardous waste and handling of unclaimed containers in the region.

Source: Vietnam Customs