WCO participation in regional Dialogue on Customs Modernization and Regional Integration
Cape Town, South Africa, 06-09 November 2012
Upon invitation from the German development co-operation agency GIZ, the Deputy Director Capacity Building Heike Barczyk participated in a regional Dialogue on Customs Modernization and Regional Integration. The Dialogue took place in Cape Town, South Africa, on 06-09 November 2012, and was organized by the GIZ, in close co-operation with the University of Münster, one of the WCO partner universities in the WCO PICARD Programme. It brought together the current graduates from the Customs Master Course, some alumnis of the said study programme, representatives from the EAC and SADC Secretariats, as well as several Commissioner and Deputy Commissioners of Customs from those administrations who had sent students for the study programme to Münster.
Ms. Barczyk among others delivered an opening, interactive presentation on the key topic of the Dialogue from a WCO perspective, and also had the chance to personally congratulate all Master graduates present in Cape Town. During the workshop, Ms. Judith Hoffmann, Senior Project Manager at the GIZ and responsible for the coordination of the GIZ support for the Münster study programme, also shared the results of an external evaluation of the programme with the participants of the Dialogue. There was high appreciation among the participating Commissioners and students alike of the efforts and support from all stakeholders involved in the programme – the GIZ, the University of Münster, German Customs and other partners. The focus on professionalism in Customs, as strengthened by the PICARD Programme and the concrete example of the Master study programme at the University of Münster, was seen as indispensable to develop strong leadership skills within Customs administrations. Such skills were also lively demonstrated by presentations of the graduates on their so-called "transfer projects" which were part of their studies and dealt with different aspects of Customs modernization in their respective home administrations.
