The second plenary meeting of the APEC Sub-Committee on Customs Procedures (SCCP) in 2026 kicked off on Saturday in Dalian City, northeast China's Liaoning Province, with the spotlight focusing on trade facilitation empowered by technological innovation and the security of supply chain.
As an important event of the third Senior Officials' Meeting of APEC China 2026, the meeting will center on the APEC "China Year" of "Building an Asia-Pacific Community to Prosper Together."
More than 100 representatives from customs of APEC's 21 member economies, relevant government departments, international organizations and the business community attended the meeting. Their discussions focused on cutting-edge topics such as artificial intelligence and the construction of smart customs.
The China's customs shared the latest progress of the smart customs partner program, and held an exhibition to display the related achievements.
"[They] exhibit five tools which are actually more advanced and actually open up our view, [as] you have so many AI technologies, best practices that actually you can share. Each of it is actually developed by each customs district," said a representative from Malaysia.
APEC customs plenary highlights trade facilitation empowered by technological innovation
Carolyn Rodrigues Birkett, Guyana's permanent representative to the United Nations (UN), emerged as the top candidate in the second informal straw poll for the next UN secretary-general, held Friday by the Security Council.
Rodrigues Birkett received eight "encourage" votes, edging ahead of Costa Rica's Rebeca Grynspan, according to sources familiar with the closed-door vote.
"The second round of straw polls has taken place," said Christina Markus Lassen, the UN ambassador of Denmark, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the Security Council for the month of August.
Lassen told reporters after the secret vote that "the candidates will be informed of the results through the respective permanent representatives of nominating member states. The President of the General Assembly will also be informed that the straw poll has been concluded."
Through straw polls, the Security Council selects a candidate to recommend to the General Assembly for appointment as the next UN secretary-general.
Security Council straw polls on secretary-general candidates are informal closed-door ballots used to gauge support for the candidates. Their results are not officially released.
Article 97 of the UN Charter states that the secretary-general shall be appointed by the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council.
Lassen did not provide any details of Friday's vote. However, it is believed that all eight candidates were on the ballot.
The eight candidates currently in the race are: Ivonne A-Baki, former Ecuadorian minister and diplomat; Michelle Bachelet, former Chilean president and former UN high commissioner for human rights; Maria Fernanda Espinosa, former UN General Assembly president and former foreign minister and defense minister of Ecuador; Rafael Grossi of Argentina, current director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency; Rebeca Grynspan, former vice president of Costa Rica and current secretary-general of the UN Conference on Trade and Development; Olara Otunnu of Uganda, former UN under-secretary-general; Carolyn Rodrigues Birkett, Guyana's permanent representative to the United Nations; and Macky Sall, former president of Senegal.
Security Council members were believed to have received one ballot per candidate, containing the candidate's name followed by three options: "encouraged," "discouraged," and "no opinion expressed," according to What's in Blue, which provides insights into evolving Security Council actions.
The term of current UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will end on December 31.
Guyana's UN envoy leads in second straw poll for next secretary-general
