The 2017/2018 WCO-Japan Career Development Programme commenced in Brussels at WCO Headquarters on Thursday 14 September 2017. 

The Programme was launched in 2009 by the WCO in cooperation with Japan Customs and provides an opportunity for selected candidates to work at the WCO Secretariat.  The Programme aims at enabling participants to obtain knowledge, skills and international work experience; developing and enhancing networks between WCO Members and the WCO Secretariat; supporting and assisting the WCO Secretariat in its mission and work; and developing a pool of highly competent Customs experts in WCO Member administrations.  The Programme has served to promote the participation of WCO Members in various WCO activities, particularly in Arabic, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish speaking countries where neither of the two official WCO languages is widely spoken.  

Ten Customs officials - from Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Cuba, Indonesia, Mexico, Nigeria, Sudan, Thailand, Timor-Leste - have started their term at the WCO Secretariat where they will work for the next 10 months in various professional capacities.  Participants will contribute to vital WCO projects and activities during their term at the WCO.

WCO Secretary General Kunio Mikuriya welcomed the selected candidates to the WCO Secretariat and expressed his expectation that they will increase their knowledge, enhance their skills, gain international work experience and enrich their professional networks. He wished them every success in this important Programme.