The WCO organized an Accreditation Workshop for Post-Clearance Audit (PCA) Technical and Operational Advisors at the WCO Headquarters from 7 to 11 March 2016. 12 pre-selected Customs officers from 11 Customs administrations were invited to demonstrate their abilities and skills in the domain of PCA.
The WCO has developed a three-phased approach to the accreditation process for the pre-selected candidates: (1) pre-screening; (2) participation to a WCO accreditation workshop; and (3) final evaluation carried out by a qualified expert during a field mission. Participants who demonstrated a thorough understanding of training and policy advisory role they should play during the Accreditation workshop will proceed with the field mission final phase. Successful participants will be registered in the WCO Accredited Customs Experts (ACE) Database and may be asked to perform Capacity Building activities on PCA on behalf of the WCO.
Taking into consideration the growing needs of Capacity Building activities in PCA, the identification and development of experts who can support the WCO in performing these tasks are crucial. The experts meeting the criteria are expected to be called upon in the near future to facilitate PCA Workshops conducted in Member countries.
The accreditation workshop is a mutually beneficial exercise; it assists the WCO in identifying qualified candidates and also enables the participants to update their knowledge and techniques for future use in their respective Administrations. During the five-day intensive workshop, participants demonstrated their excellent knowledge and advisory skills through presentations, case studies and role-playing sessions. Upon the conclusion of the workshop, participants pledged to remain connected to ensure future cooperation.