Under the framework of the EU-WCO RoO Africa Programme, funded by the European Union, the World Customs Organization (WCO) in partnership with the Arab Maghreb Union (AMU) held a sub-regional pre-accreditation workshop for the AMU countries. The workshop was held in Tangier, Morocco, from 26 to 30 May 2025 with the objective to assist the region in enhancing its knowledge and application of preferential rules of origin and to build a pool of pre-accredited experts.

The workshop was conducted as part of a comprehensive workplan, and partnership established with the AMU for competency development in a vision to further equip the administrations with dedicated experts to support the WCO, the AfCFTA Secretariat and the continent. The workshop was attended by experts from Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia as well as the AMU Secretariat and the AfCFTA Secretariat.

In his opening remarks, Mr Zahr Belbachir, representative of the AMU Secretariat, thanked the WCO for a fruitful cooperation and the significant technical assistance provided to the sub-region. He stressed that better understanding and implementation of rules of origin is crucial for trade facilitation and regional integration, and mentioned the regional strategy developed for the successful implementation of the AfCFTA Agreement. He emphasized that the pool of WCO accredited experts will go a long way in ensuring sustainable transfer of knowledge and sound implementation of capacity building initiatives benefiting Customs, private sector and other stakeholders.

The workshop offered the participants unique opportunities to demonstrate their understanding of origin-related topics through group and individual presentations, incorporating facilitation and communication skills acquired from WCO experts. The participants were assessed on their technical knowledge, presentation and facilitation skills, communication and advisory skills, overall knowledge on key WCO tools and instruments, and their team working capabilities. The assessment took place both in Arabic and French.

Participants also had the opportunity to observe the practical application and management of rules of origin through a field visit to a motor vehicle factory where they were walked through the complex production line from metal sheets to finished cars. The factory visit was followed by a visit to the port of Tanger Med, where Morocco Customs offered a glimpse into the various stages of risk management and controls carried out on imported and exported goods. These study visits were an integral part of the workshop as they allow the experts to appreciate and integrate practical study visits in their curriculum development.

At the conclusion of the workshop, the WCO experts offered constructive individual feedback to participants, highlighting areas for improvement and praising their success in applying newly acquired skills to develop training materials and deliver a training session.

Successful participants will be invited to the next stage of the WCO expert accreditation process, an in-field mission. The participants who successfully complete the final accreditation process will be added to the pool of experts and work together with the WCO for the benefit of Members who request technical assistance on rules of origin.

For further information please contact EU-WCORoOAfrica.Program@wcoomd.org