Title
Secretary General
Company
Bio
Before taking up his position as Secretary General of the World Customs Organization (WCO) on 1 January 2009, Kunio Mikuriya spent seven years as the Organization’s Deputy Secretary General. In this position he led efforts to coordinate the work of the WCO Secretariat with other international organizations such as the WTO, the World Bank, and the IMF, and with the private sector.
Prior to joining the WCO, he worked for Japan's Ministry of Finance for 25 years. During his career with the Ministry, Kunio occupied a variety of senior posts, which have given him broad experience in Customs, trade development, budget, and financial policies.
He served as Director of International Negotiations, Director of Enforcement, and Director of Research and International Affairs, in the Tariff and Customs Bureau. He also served as Director of Salaries and Allowances and as the Controller in the Budget Bureau. In addition, he spent time as a Counsellor at the Japanese Mission to the WTO in Geneva and participated in the GATT Uruguay Round trade negotiations. This experience enabled him to acquire an excellent knowledge of trade-related issues.
Kunio Mikuriya has a BA degree in law from the University of Tokyo (Japan) and a Ph.D in international relations from the University of Kent (United Kingdom).