The programme supports customs administrations/border agencies in the region to implement modernisation and automation projects. There are 4 components to the ASYCUDA Programme in the Pacific. This first component, which is referred to as the “UNCTAD ASYCUDA Programme in the Pacific” started in 1994 and currently has a geographical focus in Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji, Tonga, Tuvalu, Samoa, Cook Islands, Niue, Kiribati, Nauru, Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Palau and New Caledonia.
The second component is the “ASYCUDA Support Mechanism for the Pacific” which started in January 2002 with a focus in Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Samoa, Fiji and Vanuatu. The ASYCUDA Support Mechanism for the Pacific (ASMP) was established in January 2002 to provide long-term support to participating user countries, conduct trainings and other capacity building activities to sustain reform/modernisation initiatives and enhance the deployed automated customs management system (ASYCUDA).
The third component is referred to as “Improving Pacific Islands Customs and Trade (IMPACT)” which started in September 2021 with a focus in Cook Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu. The overall objective of IMPACT is to boost and increase intra-regional and international trade aligned with the wider PRISE objective. IMPACT’s specific objective is to improve trade facilitation and border management, and harmonise customs procedures. It is funded by the European Union under the 11th cycle of the European Development Fund, through the Pacific Regional Integration Support (PRISE) Programme.
The fourth component is “Implementation of Customs and Trade Harmonisation Project” (PACER Plus ASYCUDA Project) which started in May 2019 and will end in December 2025 with a focus in Cook Islands, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu. This component focuses on the harmonisation of customs operations across all PACER Plus signatory countries including extending the range and scope of customs management systems (including the deployment of the Automated System for Customs Data) [ASYCUDA].
