WCO Newsletter to Capacity Builders

Transcription

1 WCO Newsletter to Capacity Builders Foreword 2012 has been a record year for Capacity Building delivery! The WCO has been able to build on its proud record of providing high-quality, professional and, just as important, demand-driven support to Customs administrations around the world. With global uncertainty and massive pressures on States to do more with the same or even less resources, the capacity building delivery mission of the WCO is more important than ever. Over the past year, we have seen an increase in the demand for support and have been able to match this with increased delivery. This is thanks to you, your efforts and your willingness to share your expertise with other countries. This real partnership is what makes the capacity building model of the WCO truly special: Customs administrations supporting each other and lending each other a hand. Working together as Customs administrations, Regional Offices on Capacity Building and Regional Training Centres we have collectively made a big difference in In addition to delivery, 2012 has also been very positive in working with other international organizations and our development partners. We have been able to strengthen existing networks and to create new ones to advance the Customs Capacity Building Agenda. I hope that you had the opportunity for some rest over the festive season because 2013 is going to be very busy for Customs Capacity Builders! Erich Kieck Director, Capacity Building I S S U E J a n u a r y

2 Introduction The new edit of the Capacity Builders Newsletter is again available for the WCO accredited experts and for all other interested readers who are somehow contributing to the Customs Community. We would like to thank you for your continued interest and for sending us articles about your infield experiences. In this issue we share with you information about the projects which have been recently launched in the WCO, the highlights of some of the latest WCO Committees, Conferences and Meetings, information on recent accreditation workshops and news from our experts in action. We welcome your share of information and views on the access and the value of some of our supporting tools to ease the organization, briefing and mechanisms around WCO activities. As you may already know the WCO has launched its new website, hence to find previous versions of the Capacity Builders Newsletter please follow this link: More information Mr. Armen Melkikyan Capacity Building Directorate Ms. Elke Portz Capacity Building Directorate Economic Competitiveness Package At the 119th/120th Session of the WCO Council, the Secretariat was requested to develop an Economic Competitiveness Package (ECP). It will be recalled that at the Policy Commission s December 2011 session, Members saw uncertainty in the current economic situation and felt that the WCO should continue to pursue its global engagement and efforts to enhance economic growth. Moreover, Policy Commission members asked the WCO to strengthen its role of supporting regional integration as this is increasingly a priority policy area for many States. That forms the background to the ECP initiative. The ECP has at its core the Revised Kyoto Convention and its links to a number of other WCO instruments and concepts, including the SAFE Framework, the Data Model, the Time Release Study, tools for transit and Integrity, Risk Management, Customs-Business Partnerships, Globally Networked Customs, Coordinated Border Management, and the Single Window. By launching the ECP, the WCO wants to revive discussions around the role of Customs administrations in enhancing economic competitiveness, to identify and circulate innovative initiatives that Customs administrations are working on, to better determine individual and regional needs, as well as to promote its existing instruments and tools and to develop new ones as required. To learn more about ECP please visit the WCO Members website: WCO RESEARCH DEVELOPMENTS The WCO Research and Strategies Unit was established in April 2009 to produce research and policy analysis on Customs and international trade matters. On the same year the WCO Research Paper Series was launched to disseminate research and stimulate policy debate on a broad range of Customs and international trade related topics, such as revenue collection, supply chain security, trade facilitation, performance measurement, informal trade practices, AEO programmes and the environment. These Papers are authored or co-authored by staff of the WCO Secretariat. The recent WCO Research Paper #27 has been published and presents a comparison of three Customs control selection methods (manual, rule-based and random) used by the Korea Customs Service (KCS). To find out more about the WCO research activities please visit the WCO public website: 2

3 Recent and future awareness and accreditation activities The WCO continued its accreditation activities to provide quality support to its Members. Since February 2012 the WCO conducted altogether ten accreditation workshops with the aim to widen its pool of experts. Expert Trainers: For the WCO Expert Trainer in total 5 accreditation events have been organized. The first WCO accreditation workshop for Russian speaking Expert Trainers on HS took place in Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine April For English-speaking Expert Trainers on Customs Valuation a workshop was conducted from 24 to 28 of September at the RTC Abuja, Nigeria. Another Valuation accreditation workshop for French-speakers was held in Libreville, Gabon, from 22 to 26 of October A regional accreditation workshop for English-speaking Expert Trainers on Rules of Origin was held in RTC Shanghai, October Another regional accreditation workshop addressed for Expert Trainers on Valuation Control via Post Clearance Audit was conducted in Japan from 3 rd to 7 th December Technical and Operational Advisors (TOA) In same time period 2 accreditation events for WCO Technical and Operational Advisors have been organized: regional accreditation workshop took place for TOA s on Risk Management in the AP Region in November 2012, in RTC Hong Kong, China and global accreditation workshop for TOA s on IPR in Brussels, Belgium April. Leadership and Management Two accreditation workshops for Leadership and Management trainers have been organized: one in Brussels, Belgium 5-9 March and one in Tourcoing, France, for French speaking experts May. Customs and Modernization Advisors And finally one national accreditation workshop for Customs and Modernization Advisors took place in Tokyo, Japan April As a result 4 Customs experts succeeded in the Customs Modernization Advisor accreditation workshop, 17 experts excelled in the workshops for Technical and Operational Advisors, 11 experts were identified as a LMD facilitator and 28 experts successfully finalized their accreditation workshop for Expert Trainers. The CB Directorate express its gratitude to all Donors and the participants for their active engagement in these workshops and congratulate all experts who successfully participated in the accreditation workshop. We also hope that all colleagues take some new input back to their home administrations and some useful information and guidance for their work as international Customs experts. We look forward to our fruitful collaboration in future WCO missions on behalf of our beneficiary Members. 3

4 Recent and future awareness and accreditation activities Customs Modernisation Accreditation - Gerry Rodrigues Congratulations to Gerry Rodrigues, Director Sea Cargo Ops of the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service, on his accreditation as a Customs Modernisation Advisor. The Customs Modernisation process is a broad strategy and goal to improve the effectiveness, efficiency and transparency and predictability of an administration s operations so that it can better meet the demands of modern times. This goal is met by building capacity through activities which strengthen the knowledge, abilities, skills and behaviours of individuals, and improve institutional structures and processes. To become accredited to assist in this process, Gerry undertook a 2-step accreditation process. Firstly, Gerry attended the World Customs Organisation (WCO) Accreditation Workshop in Melaka, Malaysia in March Then in August 2012, he undertook and co-facilitated a mission to Mongolia in the support of strategic action planning. Gerry has subsequently been recognised as an accredited Customs Modernisation Advisor with the World Customs Organisation and was issued with his certificate by the Secretary General, Mr Kunio Mikuriya which was presented to him at the Regional Conference by the RD Vic, Graham Krisohos. Gerry is now available to provide support to WCO members in the planning and implementation of their Customs modernisation initiatives over the next 3 years. FORECAST Planned WCO accreditation activities in 2013 Technical and Operational Advisors Region Session Place Date Global Regional Global Global Accreditation workshop for Technical Operational Advisors on IPR Accreditation workshop for Technical Operational Advisors on Risk Management English Speakers Accreditation workshop for Technical Operational Advisors on Risk Management English speakers Accreditation Workshop for Technical Operational Advisors (CEN applications) Brussels May 2013 TBD May 2013 Brussels February 2013 TBD TBD Expert Trainers Region Session Place Date ESA Regional Accreditation Workshop for HS Expert Trainers - English speaking Zimbabwe March 2013 Customs and Modernisation Advisors Region Session Place Date EUR Customs and Modernization Advisors accreditation for CIS Russian speaking Astana April

5 EXPERTS FEEDBACK Accreditation Workshop on Rules of Origin for the Asia Pacific Region October, Shanghai, China The WCO Secretariat, in cooperation with the ROCB Asia Pacific, has organized an accreditation workshop for expert trainers on Rules of Origin for the Asia Pacific region. It was funded by CCF/Japan and was held in October 2012 at Shanghai Customs College, a WCO Regional Training Centre of the region. The workshop was the first accreditation event in the area of Origin held at a regional level. I participated in the workshop as a facilitator responsible for the technical content, Rules of Origin. A technical officer from the Capacity Building (CB) Directorate as well as the representative of the ROCB also participated, to deal with the aspects under their expertise which are the CB strategy, training techniques and regional Capacity Building approach. 12 pre-selected participants from the Member Customs Administrations of the Asia Pacific region gathered for the event. They were from China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, Singapore, and Thailand. They all were qualified national experts with not only excellent knowledge and experience on Rules of Origin but also strong enthusiasm and willingness of being engaged in the process. Being accredited as a WCO Expert Trainer entails a thorough understanding on the WCO tools and instruments as well as the WCO s approach for the delivery of such materials. In the area of Rules of Origin, adequate attention shall be kept with regard to the characteristics of the WCO s working approach that is specific to this subject area. Unlike HS and Valuation, which are often referred together with Origin as the main elements for the determination of Customs duty, there is no global standard established in the area of Rules of Origin for the time being. On the other hand, with the increasing number of Free Trade Agreements entering into force around the world, many Member Customs administrations are faced with the task to administer several different Rules of Origin at the border. Thus there are growing demands for the WCO to provide assistance in this field. What does the WCO do to respond to its Members request under such situation? What the WCO is currently doing is to take a practical, neutral and comparative approach taking into account the different preferential trade agreements existing in the world. This is well represented by the main tools developed by the WCO in the recent years, such as the Origin Database and the Comparative Study of Preferential Rules of Origin. Having this neutral and comparative approach, the WCO delivers its assistance activities tailored to the needs of the recipient. The 5 day workshop started off by my colleagues from the CB Directorate and ROCB introducing the overall concepts of WCO training policy including the accreditation program as well as the regionalization strategy. When it came to my part, I emphasized our position in the delivery of assistance activities in the area of Origin as described above as I went through and explained the existing WCO Origin tools. Having such reinforcement session was indeed useful to narrow the gap of understanding among the participants and set the starting point for further exercise and assessment. Facilitated by my CB Directorate colleague there were many interesting discussions on the elements for being a good trainer such as communication process, teaching aids, etc. The passion and eagerness of the participants were excellent which led the event to be a great success. On the last day of the workshop, all the participants agreed to form an informal group of regional experts, and they were already discussing what they can do in the region in mutual cooperation. I felt confident that this workshop will be a good model case for future accreditation event on Rules of Origin. Atsushi Tanaka, WCO Secretariat, Tariff and Trade Affairs Directorate 5

6 News from WCO Meetings, Conferences and Committees Harmonized System Review Sub-Committee (RSC) Brussels Nov 2012 The RSC agreed to several amendments to the 2017 Nomenclature, including one related to LED lamps. It also examined other possible amendments, including a new proposal on wine from the International Organization of Vine and Wine (OIV). Capacity Building Committee 4-th session Brussels, Feb 2013 It is our pleasure to inform you that the 4 th Session of the WCO Capacity Building Committee (CBC), will be held on February The first panel session of the Committee will focus on the theme of The Urgency to Act: From Strategic Planning to Implementation. This will set the tone for the 4 th Session that is focused on the implementation and results of Customs reform and modernization. The Capacity Building support products and services that have been developed and our plans on the way forward will be presented as part of the Strategic Development Package. The Committee will also focus on new issues related to the three enablers of Customs modernization, namely Political Will, People and Partnerships. Highlights include: Customs performance measurement, and specifically initiatives with some our partners such as the World Bank and Inter -American Development Bank in this respect; Securing support from international development partners for Customs reform and modernization; and Leadership and management development and, in particular, Women Leadership in Customs. The meetings will take place at WCO Headquarters in Brussels and be conducted in English, French, Arabic, and Spanish.. INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMS DAY The WCO will dedicate 2013 to the promotion of innovation under the slogan "Innovation for Customs progress. As 26 January falls on a Saturday, the WCO will host a reception at its headquarters on Monday, 28 January. 6

7 ...News from WCO Meetings, Conferences and Committees The 7 th WCO PICARD Conference Morocco, September 2012 Over 230 delegates representing WCO Members, the academic world, international organizations, the private sector, donor organizations and other interested parties attended the 7 th WCO Conference on the Partnership in Customs Academic Research and Development (PICARD) hosted by the University of Cadi Ayyad in partnership with Morocco Customs and the WCO in Marrakesh, Morocco from September The Conference was co-chaired by Prof. Michael Wolffgang, University of Münster, and Prof. M barek Benchanaa and Prof. Abdullah Ait Ouahman from the University of Cadi Ayyad. The Conference focused on three main topics: The Impact of Regional Economic Integration and Preferential Trade Arrangements on Customs Services; Emerging and Evolving Risks; and Customs Strategic Human Resource Management. In his welcome speech, the Secretary General of the WCO, Kunio Mikuriya, stated that the annual PICARD Conference is aimed at promoting high level exchanges on Customs education and professionalism and to encourage more research in cooperation with universities and research institutes. He particularly stressed the linkage between the Conference topics and the WCO s Leadership and Management Development (LMD) Programme, WCO tools such as the Revenue Package, the Economic Competitiveness Package and the Orientation Package for Decision Makers. Besides the many presentations on research outcomes and the panel discussions, this year s agenda also included specific workshops on Customs Competence Development and Professional Education Recognition, IT Developments and Human Resource Management Challenges, and Women in Leadership. Discussions on these key HR issues led to intense interaction among participants. During the Conference, a draft PICARD 2020 strategic document on the future of the PICARD Programme was introduced and discussed, which will be further updated in the course of the coming months and then presented to the next Session of the WCO Capacity Building Committee for consideration. In addition, the WCO and the World Bank presented their new collective book Reform by Numbers: Measurement Applied to Customs and Tax Administrations in Developing Countries. The next WCO PICARD Conference will take place in St. Petersburg, Russia, in September Want to learn more about PICARD Programme visit the WCO public website: WCO News WCO news No 68 Dossier: the Anniversary edition In this issue you will find an interesting article about the history of the WCO and learn about the new developments of the Globally Network Customs. If you want to know more about the WCO news magazine please visit the WCO public website : Council 2012, Revitalizing trade, Dual-use goods and more in WCO news No 69 Dossier: Council

8 WCO ONGOING PROJECTS The WCO has a long history of collaboration with other international organizations. In addition to this over the past years the WCO has been very successful in achieving of financial assistance by external donors for Customs and Modernization programmes. In the year 2012 the WCO has launched four new projects and the following articles provide a snapshot on four currently ongoing projects as follows: Programme Global Shield NORAD project World Bank project: Customs Capacity Enhancement in Sub-Saharan Africa SIDA project: West African Customs Administrations Modernization Project Programme Global Shield The WCO Integrity Newsletter The Programme Global Shield (PGS) has been officially launched by the World Customs Organization as of April The decision to implement the Programme was adopted by the WCO Council in June 2011 based on the success of the short-term Project Global Shield conducted during The Programme Global Shield is a multilateral operation to monitor the licit movements of explosive pre-cursor chemical shipments to identify and combat the illicit cross-border diversion and trafficking of those chemicals in the international supply chains. Programme includes following key elements: Awareness-raising and private sector outreach; Capacity building, technical assistance, and research; and Operation Global Shield. The Programme promotes unprecedented cooperation among customs, police and low enforcement officials in preventing illicit diversion of pre-cursor chemicals and has developed a Global Shield on-line Application to facilitate this cooperation. Capacity building activities focus around training. Under this activity area the Programme produces a comprehensive training curriculum, delivers operational training, and creates a multilingual pool of experts that can be utilized to deliver trainings. The PGS is strongly supported by the INTERPOL and the UNODC. To join the Programme or to request further information, please contact PGS team at globalshield@wcoomd.org We have the pleasure to introduce the 7th Edition of the Integrity Newsletter. In this issue, the reader will find out about what Nigeria, Chile, Burkina Faso and Uruguay have done to enhance integrity in their Customs administrations. Nigeria has launched an important programme aimed at improving integrity in Customs that includes capacity building, an enhanced welfare package for staff and greater automation. The reader will learn about the work of one of the WCO Project GAPIN Ambassadors who toured Burkina Faso and Guinea. And the last but not least we remind you that 12th Session of the Integrity Sub- Committee will be held on 28 February and 1 March To download this newsletter please visit: 8

9 Customs Capacity Building for the WCO Members A project funded by Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD) The World Customs Organization (WCO) and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD) signed an agreement in September 2012 to support the project Customs Capacity Building for WCO Members The project aims at delivering technical assistance to seven Countries in specific areas of Customs operations: East Timor: Valuation and Classification. The project will assist the Customs administration to strengthen its revenue collection capacity through the implementation of improved Classification and HS Valuation practices and procedures. Liberia: Integrity and Performance Management. The sub-project will start with a workshop to draw on the best practices and experiences of other countries in the region having already implemented IPM programs. It will also deliver technical assistance to develop an automated system module compatible with ASYCUDA, plus some training of Liberian customs IT staff on the use of the system. Mozambique: Risk Management and Human Resource Development (training policy management). The project will contribute to strengthening the overall capacity of the Customs administration to facilitate trade and ensure collection of revenue through the application of risk management tools and techniques. It will also take the material developed under the risk management component and include it in an e-learning module for ongoing use within the Mozambique Customs administration. Nicaragua: Authorized Economic Operator. The project will assist the Customs administration to implement an Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) programme, within a risk management framework. It will also include a Time Release Study. Rwanda: Integrity and Stakeholders Communication. The project will build capacity within the Rwandan Customs Administration to develop an integrity communication strategy, plans and products to support the practical development and implementation of a communication campaign on Integrity. It will target internal stakeholders (customs and other government departments) as well as the public and specifically the private sector. Tanzania: Valuation and Classification. The project will support the Customs authority to implement improved Classification and HS Valuation practices and procedures. Support in the area of Origin is also foreseen. Vietnam: Customs Brokers and Stakeholders Consultation. The project will focus on strengthening the relationship and closer collaboration between the Vietnam Customs administration and the country s customs brokers and private sector stakeholders. With the financial support from NORAD, the WCO will mobilize both internal and external expertise to provide the requested technical assistance. Prior to that, the WCO will carry out scoping missions in each beneficiary country in order to identify the needs and formulate the contents and the methodology to deliver the technical assistance. This key step of the project cycle will be completed between November 2012 and March If you require further information please contact : Sonia Pagliaro Project Manager WCO-NORAD Customs Capacity Building Project Capacity Building Directorate Tel: +32(0) , Fax: 32(0) sonia.pagliaro@wcoomd.org 9

10 Customs Capacity Enhancement in Sub-Saharan Africa Supporting Customs Modernization and Reform through Responsive 21st Century Approaches to Leadership, Management and Training The Customs Capacity Enhancement in Sub Saharan Africa (CCEA-SSA) project is an innovative new partnership between the World Bank s Trade Facilitation Facility and the World Customs Organization s Capacity Building Directorate. The partnership will contribute to ongoing reform and modernization efforts of Customs Administrations in Sub Saharan Africa and will run until This project will compliment the WCO s existing capacity development programmes. Through national workshops, demand-driven leadership and management development support, and support in the integration and expansion of e-learning programmes, the project will support reform and modernization efforts in a responsive and iterative manner. The CCEA-SSA project will support the delivery of the WCO s leadership and management development workshop. For those Administrations that have already benefited this workshop, the CCEA-SSA project will offer customized follow-up support. This support could focus on individual leaders or on the Administration as a whole, and could include executive coaching, follow-up workshops, advisory missions and other modern management tools. The CCEA-SSA project will also support Member Administrations in the integration of e-learning into existing training platforms. The project will provide expert technical advice on the integration of the WCO s existing e-learning modules into existing training programs. Recognizing the growing complexity of Member Administration s mandates, the project will also support the development of four new e-learning modules, including: Revised Kyoto Convention Coordinated Border Management Post Clearance Audit Risk Management Eligible Countries: All Member Administrations in Sub Saharan Africa are eligible to participate in the Project, provided that they demonstrate at minimum: Political will for modernization and reform of Customs, including the prioritization of leadership and management development, and training A commitment among senior managers to participate and actively contribute to dialogues and efforts to modernize and reform Customs. Benefits to Member Administrations Member Administrations will benefit from: Access to leading-edge training and resources that are customized to national-level needs Increased alignment of national Customs approaches to global standards in Customs A network of local and international Customs experts who can provide support and advice over the long-term Requesting Assistance Eligible customs administrations interested in receiving support under the CCEA-SSA project are invited to express their interest to the WCO Project Manager: Mr. Nathan Taylor, Capacity Building Directorate, World Customs Organization Nathan.Taylor@wcoomd.org, Tel: , Fax:

11 West African Customs Administrations Modernization Project Human Resource Management - Stakeholder Relations - Resource Mobilization The West African Customs Administrations Modernization (WACAM) project is one component of the SIDA funded Capacity Building Programme dealing with regional implementation of Columbus Programme Phase II in Sub-Saharan Africa. The WACAM Project will contribute to ongoing modernization efforts of customs administrations in West Africa and will run until It will provide support to complement existing WCO Capacity Building programmes, such as the Columbus Programme. This project is a direct response to priority development needs identified by Customs Administrations in the region Through regional workshops and national consulting, the project will present best practices in various areas of strategic management and will deliver capacity building support to address specific needs Project Components Human Resource Management Regional Workshops Best practices in recruitment Best practices in staff motivation National level assistance Support the implementation of a fair and merit-based recruitment process Support development of staffing policies to meet organizational needs Support development of strategies to secure staff motivation, professional development and improved workplace environment Stakeholder Relations Regional Workshops Best practices in stakeholder relationship management Best practices in consultative mechanisms and dialogue platforms National level assistance: Support establishment of structured stakeholder consultation mechanisms Expert advice to improve negotiations skills Expert advice on communication strategies and tools Resource Mobilization Regional Workshops Best practices in developing and costing a sound business case to secure internal buy-in and external support Best practices on donor engagement and techniques to prepare funding and project proposals National level assistance Advice in identifying potential donor funding Advice in developing a funds mobilization strategy Support to develop proposals Eligible Countries Project Approach & Implementation ECOWAS Member states: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Côte d Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo Project Delivery Flexible approach Regional Workshops National support missions adapted to specific needs Quality Experts Funding This initiative is funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Requesting Assistance Eligible customs administrations interested in receiving support under the WACAM Project are invited to express their interest to the WCO Project Manager Mr. Richard Chopra Richard.Chopra@wcoomd.org Tel: + 32 (0)

12 Editorial Note The Newsletter to WCO Capacity Builders is distributed free of charge in French and in English to WCO accredited Customs experts, and is accessible on the WCO e-learning platform and the public WCO Capacity Building website. The WCO Capacity Building Directorate wishes to express its sincere thanks to all who contributed to this publication. Contributions in English and French are welcome. Opinions expressed in this newsletter are those of the contributors and do not necessarily reflect the official views of the World Customs Organization. The WCO reserves the right to publish, not to publish or edit articles to ensure their conformity with the newsletters` editorial policy. 12