of respective AEOs have been adopted by customs administrations, usually on a bilateral basis. However, it is hoped that these will, in due, course form the basis for multilateral agreements at the sub-regional and regional level.
As of 30 June 2013, 26 AEO programmes had been established in 52 countries and seven further countries plan to
establish them in the near future Capacity-building assistance under the WCO
Columbus Programme remains a vital part of the SAFE implementation strategy. Implementation is further
supported by Customs and private sector working bodies established within the WCO Secretariat
and working in close collaboration to maintain the relevance of the SAFE Framework in a changing trade
environment