12 May 2025, Ankara
The Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) successfully convened the first Technical Test Meeting for the implementation of the ECO Smuggling and Customs Offences Data Bank (ESCODB) on May 12, 2025. The virtual meeting was hosted by the Republic of Türkiye, with the participation of focal points from the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, and the Republic of Türkiye.
The ESCODB initiative aims to strengthen regional cooperation in combating smuggling and customs offences by facilitating exchange of information among ECO Member States. During the meeting, representatives of the Republic of Türkiye provided a comprehensive demonstration of the ESCODB interface, showcasing its features and operational framework.
The meeting marked an important step forward in testing and operationalizing the ESCODB platform. Constructive discussions took place to identify technical gaps and agree on necessary follow-up actions.
This initiative reflects ECO’s continued commitment to enhancing regional cooperation in customs enforcement, improving data-sharing mechanisms, and fostering institutional capacity-building among Member States.
