The Strategic Trade Control Enforcement (STCE) Programme continues to deliver its capacity building activities for WCO members in a virtual setting until travels and in-person meetings will be allowed again.
Last week, from 5 to 9 October 2020, the STCE team delivered a 5-day national training for Indian Customs. The virtual environment does not allow for a comprehensive STCE training to be carried out, therefore the WCO team adapted the modules in order to have 3 hours per day and cover the main subjects of the curriculum, from the components of a STCE system to the different kind of strategic commodities and the use of some important tools like the STCE Implementation Guide and the Strategic Trade Atlas.
The training started with opening remarks by Mr. Pranab Kumar Das, WCO Director of Compliance and Facilitation, who encouraged the STCE Programme in carrying on with its remote learning work and its support to the WCO member administrations. The Director highlighted that an in-person training would allow for a better interaction with the audience but he also pointed out some advantages of an online format, such as the possibility to include many different Experts and to reach a larger number of trainees. The donor of the STCE Programme, the US Export Control and Related Border Security Program (EXBS), was represented during the training by their advisor to India, Ambassador Margaret Uyehara, who welcomed the participants and thanked the WCO for its commitment and hard work towards the full implementation of the UNSCR 1540.
The STCE team conducted the training also with the help of Mr. Tom Ciccateri and Mr. Neil Horne, recognized expert trainers in the field, and Mr. Shyam Kanu Mahanta, Indian Customs official and WCO expert trainer, who shared with his colleagues the Indian experience in STCE Risk Management and presented some very relevant and interesting case studies.
The 30 Indian customs officers who attended the training work in different locations in their Country and have different functions, which gave a variety of perspectives to the course. The WCO received some very good questions and comments, as the one from Mr. Maji Maheswar, who wrote us “It was a pleasant experience to be part of such a comprehensive, interactive and fruitful training program.”
The STCE Programme plans to deliver a follow-up physical training for Indian Customs once travels will be allowed again, but in the meantime it keeps conducting virtual workshops and webinars. For instance, between 19 and 22 October an online national training for Jordan Customs will be delivered and two webinars focused on Risk Management and targeting are being organized for the 28 and 29 October for administration which have already received a full STCE training.