Social media as an opportunity to strengthen internal affairs and integrity in Jamaica Customs

20 July 2022

On July 19th, the WCO Anti-Corruption & Integrity Promotion (A-CIP) Programme delivered a workshop on “Social Media & Integrity”, a first of its kind, to Jamaica Customs Agency (JCA).

The session was a platform for an exchange of views and perspectives between WCO experts and JCA officials having responsibilities in communications, internal affairs, intelligence, investigations, customer service, trade and human resources management.

Discussions allowed to delve into JCA’s communication strategy to underline the potential of social media as a vehicle to promote integrity. The role played by JCA employees on social media, and the need to have internal policies around it – such as clear guidance in the Code of Conduct, and/or in a Social Media Policy – was emphasized. In that regard, WCO Communication Handbook for Customs Administrations was particularly leveraged in this innovative workshop.

Participation from JCA was extremely productive and interesting, reflecting the Agency’s commitment to promote integrity and strive for great customer service. The way social media can be used to connect with users and to get feedback on how to better improve processes was discussed at length, as well as the need for clear guidelines for JCA staff on how to uphold the Agency’s core values online.

The WCO A-CIP Programme currently supports more than 20 countries in five WCO regions, with funding from Norad and Canada. For more information, please, contact capacity.building@wcoomd.org.