The WCO Strategic Trade Control Enforcement (STCE) Programme and Customs Operational Practices for Enforcement and Seizures (COPES) Programme organized a training course which was delivered online from March 29 to April 1st in Albania and Kosovo. The course was delivered in Albanian through the support of United States Department of State (the donor) and Kosovo and Albania Customs Authorities.
The COPES and the STCE Programmes are two of the key programmes within the WCO Enforcement and Compliance Sub-Directorate. Over the next two years the WCO will deliver workshops for members using the new COPES-STCE training materials.
The training course brought together 23 Customs officers from both Albania and Kosovo Customs, Albanian State Export Control Authority and Kosovo STDG. The training was delivered online both in English and Albanian by COPES and STCE expert trainers.
The goal of these new trainings is to reinforce the importance of controlling cross border transfers of dual-use, to facilitate the adoption of universal strategic trade controls enforcement (STCE) Standards, and to enhance as well best practices for customs enforcement procedures for STCE seizures including investigations.
This course was organized with these considerations in mind. After the STCE and COPES Programme and their team had been presented and the course participants introduced, the agenda for this training was structured around the definition of strategic goods, dual use materials, on the one hand, and on the other hand, technical aspects both related to evidence collection standards and investigative techniques. This last part aims at allowing prosecutions against criminal groups operating in the STCE area.
For further information about the COPES Programme, please send your request to: Copes@wcoomd.org.
For more information about the STCE Programme, please contact: WCOSecurityProgramme@wcoomd.org.