Cuba ratifies treaty to establish new Caribbean Customs Organization

Cuba has become the first country to ratify a treaty to establish a new Caribbean Customs Organization (CCO), the island's General Customs adviser Miguel Nunez said on Saturday.

"The Council of State revalidated the agreement," Nunez told reporters in Havana.

The CCO, which aims to strengthen cooperation between different customs agencies working in the Caribbean region, can begin functioning after ratification by its members as early as March or April 2020, he said.

The CCO would succeed the existing Caribbean Customs Law Enforcement Council (CCLEC), which convened in Havana in May to sign the treaty, with representatives from 26 countries attending.