On Monday 3 October 2022, the Secretary General of the World Customs Organization (WCO), Dr. Kunio Mikuriya welcomed the eleven participants of the 83rd WCO Fellowship Programme at the WCO HQ in Brussels.

They came to participate in a face-to-face workshop, which follows a first part of the programme delivered online in January and February 2021. The workshop is dedicated to modern leadership and management and aims at giving the participants the necessary knowledge and skills in order to actively contribute to the development and modernization processes of their respective administrations.

The approach focuses on people-centered personnel management, while remaining highly demanding in terms of achievements and results. Through a series of interactive and self-reflective exercises, it is expected to lead participants to better understand themselves and interact with others.

The workshop also provides an ideal forum for fellows to share experiences, not only among themselves, but also with experts from the WCO Secretariat, thus enhancing their knowledge while building a strong professional network. The programme will conclude with a field study trip to observe operational practices within a partner Customs administration.

This edition of the WCO Fellowship Programme has been made possible thanks to the financial support of France, South Korea and Japan. Customs administrations from Brazil, Senegal, Burundi, Cape Verde, Madagascar, Moldova, Republic of Congo, Algeria, Comoros, Mali and Togo participated in the 83rd Fellowship Programme.