As part of the overseas’ training of the Public Policy Executive Programme of the National Academy of Customs, Excise and Narcotics (NACEN), groups of probationers from the Indian Revenue Service visited WCO Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on four occasions during February and March 2017.

The delegations were welcomed, by the WCO Secretary General Kunio Mikuriya and other senior WCO officials, explaining, in their opening addresses, some of the main challenges faced by Customs in the current international trade environment, and how the WCO supports its Members.

During the meeting held on 16 February 2017, the Ambassador of India to Belgium, Luxembourg and the EU, H.E. Mr. Manjeev Singh Puri, exchanged views with the group on the role India is playing in international trade including in relation to the EU, and what the career of Indian Customs’ senior officials means in this context.

These meetings provided the probationers with relevant information on WCO’s Membership, structure, and activities, specifically in the fields of enforcement/compliance and facilitation, tariff and trade affairs, and capacity building.

The WCO’s approach in countering illegal trade was discussed, with a specific focus on WCO programmes, instruments and tools available to its Members. Expertise was also shared on the tools developed to facilitate legitimate trade, more specifically the Revised Kyoto Convention, which is the blueprint for a modern Customs administration, and the SAFE Framework of Standards, which supports the security of the entire trade supply chain.

The WCO also presented its Revenue Package, along with the latest insights on Origin, HS and Valuation in relation to the work achieved by their respective Committees and to the WCO strategic goals.

Finally, the way the WCO and its regional structures work together to support capacity building delivery in the various WCO regions was detailed, notably in the Asia/Pacific region, and how WCO Members could benefit from these activities.