Brussels, 14 July 2017
The WCO-Japan Career Development Programme for 2016/2017 ended successfully with a ceremony at which the ten Professional Associates were awarded certificates on their successful completion of the Programme. This ceremony was preceded by a reporting session during which the Professional Associates presented their research findings to the Secretary General and the management team of the WCO, as one of their achievements during their service at the WCO Secretariat in Brussels.
The Career Development Programme was launched in 2009 by the WCO, in cooperation with Japan Customs. It provides an opportunity for selected candidates to undertake work at the WCO Secretariat and aims at enabling the nominated specialists to obtain knowledge, skills and international work experience; developing and enhancing networks among WCO Members and the Secretariat; enhancing the research activities of the WCO in order to support and assist the Secretariat in its mission and tasks; and developing a pool of highly competent officials with expertise in WCO Member administrations.
Within the framework of the 2016/2017 Programme which commenced in September 2016, ten Customs officials - from Angola, Bangladesh, Belize, Benin, Cambodia, Guinea, Mexico, Mongolia, Senegal, and Ukraine - worked at the WCO Secretariat on a number of projects and activities. The involvement of these Professional Associates has enabled WCO Members to enhance their communication with the Secretariat and also served to add to the diversity of the Secretariat’s staff.
Upon completion of the Programme, WCO Secretary General Kunio Mikuriya congratulated the officials on their work and expressed appreciation for the contribution they had made to the WCO over the past 10 months. He also emphasized that each Professional Associate is expected to stay "connected" with the WCO Secretariat and to be a contact point after returning to his/her home Administration. Furthermore, he hoped that the Professional Associates would continue to make efforts to liaise with other WCO Members and regions in order to strengthen the global Customs network.