The STCE Programme resumes live events with a national training for Tajikistan Customs

15 October 2021

The Strategic Trade Control Enforcement (STCE) Programme resumed live events for the first time after the Covid-19 outbreak with a National training for Tajikistan Customs, held in Dushanbe from 5 to 8 October 2021.

The Tajik Customs Administration supported the WCO in the organization of the training and their representative delivered opening remarks, highlighting the importance of customs awareness in strategic trade matters. The donor of the Programme, the US Export Control and Border Security programme (EXBS) was also present and assisted the WCO experts in the organization and delivery of the training.

The event was facilitated by the STCE Programme Coordinator, together with two accredited expert trainers from Georgia and Azerbaijan, who delivered part of the curriculum to a live audience again, In addition, the hosting member Administration also presented its national STCE system to the trainers on the first day.

The live environment allowed the trainers to partially move away from theory and also involve the audience in some practical exercises, in order to convey the knowledge in a more efficient and comprehensive way.

This event has been of great importance for the STCE Programme and for the Tajikistan Customs, on the one hand, because it had been planned to happen before the pandemic outbreak and it could be finally delivered after a few postponements, and, on the other hand, it will serve as a preparation for Operation Cosmo Central Asia, which the STCE Programme hopes to conduct in 2022.

The WCO is continuing to mostly organize virtual and hybrid events for the near future, but hopes to be able to conduct more live events again soon.