The WCO organized a Risk Management (RM) Workshop in Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran, from 27 April to 1 May 2019 with financial support from the Customs Cooperation Fund of Japan (CCF/Japan). The event was attended by some 50 participants from different units of the Customs Administration of the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRICA), based at Headquarters as well as at Customs houses in the field.

The Workshop was opened by Mr. Ali Baidei Mofradnia, IRICA’s Deputy President for Planning and International Affairs, Mr. Hossein Kakhki, Director General of the International Cooperation Department, and the WCO representative. During the opening remarks, the importance of RM and intelligence in Customs’ daily work was highlighted. Emphasis was also placed on the relationship between risk-based selectivity and effective resource allocation, in addition to the implications for trade facilitation.

The Workshop began by focusing on certain RM elements at an organizational level, before covering risk assessment, profiling and targeting techniques alongside intelligence support for RM. Group assignments, practical exercises and case studies contributed to deepening the participants’ understanding of the topics covered. Each session was followed by a question and answer period on how to implement the theory and the methodology explained in the WCO Customs Risk Management Compendium. Essential elements of an effective RM system were then summarized during the final sessions.

A report was developed by the participants, comprising an assessment of the RM system in place together with policy recommendations incorporating references to the good practices highlighted during the Workshop.

During the closing session, the Director General of the International Cooperation Department,  Mr. Kakhki, and the WCO representative congratulated the participants on their achievements, reminding them of the importance of having well-trained staff and of institutionalizing the lessons learned to ensure the success of an RM programme within an administration.

The Workshop proved a very good opportunity for IRICA to strengthen its existing RM processes and adopt new approaches as a solid foundation for future operations involving RM, profiling and targeting, including information exchange and intelligence.

IRICA expressed its appreciation to the WCO for its continued support with RM and with other areas of Customs.