From 13 to 24 November, WCO training experts and a specialist from Jordan Customs conducted the first Theoretical Training in the Sultanate of Oman, which recently joined the UNODC-WCO Container Control Programme (CCP). Oman is the first country of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to implement this programme.
This training marks the first stage of a 3-year cooperation between the Royal Oman Police / Directorate of Customs, the WCO and UNODC in establishing a dedicated Port Control Unit in the port of Sohar. This team will be in charge of risk profiling of high risk containerized traffic.
Both the Oman participants and the training experts were satisfied with the outcomes of the training and motivated to continue with the staged training concept applied by the CCP.
Currently, Port Control Units established in the framework of the CCP are operational in 34 countries; funding for additional 20 countries has been granted by the donors of this joint UNODC-WCO programme.
The implementation of the Container Control Programme in Oman is funded by the US Department of State - Export Control and Related Border Security Program (EXBS).