From October 9th to 13th, 2023, the World Customs Organization (WCO) successfully organized a regional workshop on integrity promotion in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. The workshop brought together officials from Customs Administrations across the Europe Region and was made possible through the generous financial support of the Customs Cooperation Fund of Korea (CCF-Korea).

The Deputy Chairman of the Turkmenistan Customs Service officially inaugurated the workshop, emphasizing the crucial role of integrity in advancing Customs services globally. He highlighted the significance of the Revised Arusha Declaration as a vital international instrument in combating corruption and promoting integrity in Customs.

In his video message, the Vice-Chair of the WCO for the Europe region expressed gratitude to the WCO for organizing the workshop and stressed the importance of collective efforts to ensure integrity. He acknowledged his government’s active participation in the WCO Anti-Corruption and Integrity Promotion (A-CIP) Programme, demonstrating their commitment to the integrity agenda.

Mr. Antonio Lo Parco, Director of ROCB Europe, in his video address emphasized the crucial link between capacity building and effective human resources management, underlining the necessity of integrity for the proper functioning of Customs administrations. ROCB Europe pledged support for initiatives in the region and emphasized the importance of maintaining high employee satisfaction and professional pride through innovation.

During the workshop, participants received comprehensive insights into the WCO’s integrity instruments and tools for promoting integrity in the Customs environment. These included the Revised Arusha Declaration, the Integrity Development Guide, and a compilation of integrity practices, among others. The experts from the WCO also presented the latest developments in integrity promotion. They encouraged participants from various Customs Administrations to play a more active role in promoting integrity in their respective countries after the workshop, emphasizing the need for strong commitment from all Customs officers in combating corruption.

Additionally, participants shared effective strategies and approaches employed by their Customs Administrations to implement the key factors of the Revised Arusha Declaration. The meeting fostered interactive discussions, enabling participants to exchange views on opportunities and challenges related to the implementation of the Declaration in Customs.

The workshop concluded with unanimous agreement among participants that forums on integrity promotion should be encouraged by the WCO whenever resources permit, including human, financial, and other necessary means.

For more information, contact capacity.building@wcoomd.org.