About WCO
WCO OfficialsWCO Officials
WCO is a membership-based organisation. WCO decisions are made on the basis of consensus amongst its members.
As a global organisation WCO is led by a co-chairmanship, with a representative from the Northern Hemisphere and a representative from the Southern Hemisphere. WCO Co-Chairs are nominated by their full member representative basis respectively and are elected for a mandate of two years by the WCO full members at the WCO Annual General Meeting.
The current WCO Co-Chairs are Spain, represented by Ailimpo, and South Africa, represented by the Citrus Growers’ Association, for the Northern Hemisphere and Southern Hemisphere respectively. The current Co-Chairs’ mandates are for the period 2022-2024.
WCO Northern Hemisphere Co-Chair
Spain
Ailimpo – José Antonio Garcia Fernández
“We live in a very complex world. More than ever we need tools that allow us to have a forum for reflection, a meeting point where all the players in the citrus business in the world can share experiences, learn from each other, explore ways of cooperation, and help each other to grow the demand for citrus. This place is the WCO where we have a common goal: to ensure the economic sustainability of thousands of citrus growers in the northern and southern hemispheres.”
Mr Garcia Fernández on his election as WCO Northern Hemisphere Co-Chair (June 2022).
WCO Southern Hemisphere Co-Chair
South Africa
Citrus Growers’Association – Justin Chadwick
“I would like to thank the WCO members for their confidence in my re-election as joint Chairman. I believe that the World Citrus Organisation is important in the future development of the citrus sector. We need to attract all citrus growing and exporting countries to join so as to be truly representative. This will enable the WCO to tackle issues of importance to the sector – and ensure that consumers have year round access to healthy, nutritious, safe citrus fruit.”
Mr Chadwick on his election as WCO Southern Hemisphere Co-Chair (June 2022).
