A National Train-the-Trainers Workshop on X-ray image interpretation was delivered by the World Customs Organization (WCO) in Baku, Azerbaijan in the period 11-15 March 2019.

The workshop was conducted with the financial assistance of the WCO Customs Cooperation Fund and was attended by 10 Customs officials from the State Customs Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The WCO experts covered a number of topics in the area of X-ray image analysis and non-intrusive inspection (NII) equipment. Several workshop sessions were aimed at developing the participants’ methodological skills to deliver training on X-ray image analysis.

The use of NII technologies is outlined in the Customs to Customs cooperation pillar (Pillar 1) of the SAFE Framework of Standards and serves one of the key objectives of SAFE - to promote the seamless movement of goods through secure international trade supply chains. As per standard 3 of Pillar 1 of the SAFE Framework of Standards, non-intrusive inspection equipment and radiation detection equipment should be available and used for conducting inspections, where available and in accordance with risk assessment. The standard also prescribes that the equipment is necessary to inspect high risk containers or cargo quickly, without disrupting the flow of legitimate trade.

During the workshop closing ceremony, the Head of Scanning and Technical Inspection Equipment Department at the State Customs Committee highlighted the importance of the use of NII technologies and thanked the WCO for the valuable support.