WCO successfully facilitates at the WTO Advanced Course for Chairs of National Committees on Trade Facilitation (NCTFs)

12 December 2016

The WTO Advanced Course for Chairs of National Committees on Trade Facilitation (NCTFs), held from 28 November to 9 December 2016 at the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Geneva, Switzerland, was hosted for the first time over a period of two weeks and included two WCO modules, namely, Stakeholder Engagement and Resource Mobilization. It was attended by 30 WTO Member Countries, with representatives from, inter alia, Customs administrations, other international organizations and the private sector also attending the event.

The main objectives of the course included capacity building for NCTF Chairs/Representatives on successful stakeholder consultations and donor engagement. The WCO had a lead role amongst the international organizations, as the course mostly covered the two WCO modules on Stakeholder Engagement and Resource Mobilization. The Mercator Programme and WCO tools which support WTO TFA implementation, such as the RKC, Implementation Guidance, CBM Compendium and TRS Guide, were also promoted at this event.

The participants had a number of group tasks and, through interactive discussions and activities, increased their knowledge and capabilities in terms of managing engagement with internal and external stakeholders to support the establishment and/or maintenance of a NCTF.  The expected outcomes for the participants included drafting an Action Plan to establish and maintain a NCTF, and drafting a business case and effective project proposal for donors.

The practical exercises, alongside feedback from participants, demonstrated that the latter are able, among other things, to review and further develop existing stakeholder engagement arrangements, to use the skills acquired to establish the NCTF, and to develop a structured approach to engagement with internal and external stakeholders.

The WTO have invited the WCO to participate again in two more Advanced Courses, this time for French speakers and Spanish speakers. The French course is planned to be held from 30 January to 10 February 2017, and the Spanish course from 20 to 31 March 2017.