Customs Administrations around the globe play a critical role in border security, anti-terrorism, revenue collection, and trade facilitation. To address these vital responsibilities, the World Customs Organization has developed the Framework of Standards to Secure and Facilitate Global Trade (hereafter referred to as Framework of Standards or FoS) to simultaneously secure and facilitate the international trade supply chain.
The Framework of Standards consists of two Pillars1 containing 17 security and facilitation standards that WCO members who join the FoS are expected to follow. To aid the implementation of the FoS in the developing world, the WCO has also developed a capacity building component. WCO members can signal their interest in joining the FoS by signing a letter declaring an intention to begin the process of implementing the FoS. While portions of the FoS can be implemented without development assistance, many administrations will require capacity building to adequately adhere to the principals of the FoS.
To assist Customs administrations in evaluating their conformity with the FoS, the WCO Secretariat has crafted a Self-Assessment Checklist which provides a snapshot of the required elements contained in the Framework of Standards. The Checklist covers the following areas :
- Strategic Management;
- Resources;
- Legal Framework;
- Systems and Procedures;
- Information and Communication Technology;
- External co-operation, communication and partnership; and
- Integrity
By completing the Checklist, an administration can analyze the gap between existing and desired capacity. The Checklist draws from the FoS and the WCO Customs Capacity Building Diagnostic Framework, particularly Chapter 4 (Customs Systems and Procedures), Section 21 (Security and Facilitation of the International Trade Supply Chain). The WCO Secretariat designed the Diagnostic Framework to provide members with potential solutions to identified problems in a comprehensive and sustainable manner.