On 10 December 2024, the World Customs Organization (WCO) joins the international community in celebrating Human Rights Day under the theme for 2024 of “Our rights, our future, right now”,which is fully in line with the WCO’s core values, namely “inclusiveness, diversity and equitable treatment and opportunities for all”.

This day marks the anniversary of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly’s adoption, on 10 December 1948, of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), a shared, universal standard, protecting the rights of all individuals regardless of “race, colour, religion, sex, language, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status”. This universal standard serves as the basis for international, national and local laws as well as the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Through its work to improve gender equality, diversity and inclusion, the WCO promotes at the same time the values that form the foundation of human rights. Over the years, the WCO Secretariat has developed various tools and launched a number of initiatives aimed at enhancing the capacity of its Members to implement gender equality, diversity, and inclusion in their Customs administrations.

Thanks to the Gender Equality Organizational Assessment Tool (GEOAT), first developed in 2013 and updated in 2019, Members can now better assess their own policies, practices and activities, and make adjustments to them in order to ensure that they adequately address gender equality and diversity (GED) requirements.

In 2017, the WCO Secretariat also established the Virtual Working Group on GED, and, in 2022, it launched the Network for GED through which Members can exchange experiences, learn from each other and gain an understanding of the benefits of implementing GED policies in WCO Member Customs administrations. In addition, the WCO publishes regular updates to its Compendium* on GED in Customs, showcasing different testimonials of how its Members work to advance this agenda further within their respective administrations.

In December 2020, WCO Members confirmed their support for these values through the approval of the Declaration of the Customs Co-operation Council on Gender Equality and Diversity in Customs.

The International Day of Human Rights also coincides with the end of the international 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence campaign. This campaign, which takes place every year from 25 November (International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women) to 10 December (Human Rights Day), calls for an end to violence against women and girls.

Alarming global estimates from the World Health Organization (WHO) show that around 1 in 3 women (30%) have been subjected to physical and/or sexual violence by an intimate partner or non-partner sexual violence in their lifetime, the most common being intimate partner violence.

This is also a matter of concern for Customs, which has an important role to play in combating gender-based violence, both as an employer and as a body responsible for public safety. Principle 4 of the WCO GEOAT, which specifically addresses gender-based violence and harassment, makes recommendations on how to provide support for victims of such violence, and ensure that incidents are reported and addressed swiftly and effectively.

The WCO Secretariat calls on its Members to continue the Organization’s active involvement in global GED efforts.

*The first edition of the Compendium was issued in 2021 and the second edition in 2023.