WCO-Japan Career Development Programme 2020-2021 Completion

The WCO-Japan Career Development Programme (CDP) for 2020-2021 ended with a ceremony at which WCO Secretary General Dr. Kunio Mikuriya awarded the 10 Professional Associates (PAs) certificates on their successful completion of the Programme.

Earlier, the PAs reported the results of their nine-month research to the WCO’s senior management. They had undertaken research into different Customs-related issues: some of them studied topics of global importance that were being examined in various WCO committees, while others focused on subjects that would add practical value to their home administrations as well as to other administrations facing similar situations.

The CDP was launched in 2009 by the WCO, in cooperation with Japan Customs.  It provides an opportunity for selected candidates to undertake work at the WCO Secretariat and aims at enabling the nominated specialists to obtain knowledge, skills and international work experience; developing and enhancing networks among WCO Members and the Secretariat; enhancing the research activities of the WCO in order to support and assist the Secretariat in its mission and tasks; and developing a pool of highly competent officials with expertise in WCO Member administrations.

Within the framework of the 2020-2021 Programme which commenced in October 2020, 10 Customs officials – from Costa Rica, Jordan, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nepal, the Philippines, Sao Tome and Principe, Serbia, Tajikistan, Tanzania and Zambia – worked at the WCO Secretariat on a number of projects and activities.  Their involvement has enabled WCO Members to enhance the communication with the Secretariat and also served to add to the diversity of the Secretariat’s staff.

At the conclusion of the certificate ceremony, WCO Secretary General Dr. Kunio Mikuriya expressed his satisfaction at the quality of the work presented by the PAs, in particular the remarkable results that they had achieved during their research despite the difficulty under the COVID-19 pandemic, which he felt would add value to the Organization and to the Customs community as a whole. The Secretary General also expressed his gratitude to the experts and tutors that had mentored the PAs.

Source : WCO