As part of the WCO A-CIP Programme, the General Directorate of Customs (DGD) of Niger has placed among its strategic priorities the strengthening of the organizational culture of the customs administration in order to better fight against corruption and promote integrity.
In this context, WCO experts from the Anti-Corruption and Integrity Promotion Programme (A-CIP) led a capacity building workshop from 23 to 25 May 2023 which brought together more than 35 participants, senior Niger Customs and civil society stakeholders in Niger, including representatives of the private sector and the High Authority for the Fight against Corruption and Similar Offenses.
This technical assistance and capacity building activity, enabled participants to acquire the tools and best practices to support organizational change in their administration, and to align individual and collective commitments with the Niger DGD's anti-corruption strategy, in order to build a work environment that promotes professional behavior based on integrity.
With the coordination of the Niger Customs A-CIP Project Group and the support of the Regional Capacity Building Office (ROCB) for West and Central Africa (WCA) of the WCO and the contributions of the experts of the A-CIP Programme, the discussions showed participants that they became aware of the importance for each Customs officer to position themselves as a fully-fledged A-CIP actor.
Among the highlights of the workshop, the opening speeches, the restitution and analysis of the results of the second edition of the Customs Integrity Perception Survey (CIPS II) in Niger as well as a sharing experience carried out remotely by the General Administration of Customs and Excise of Belgium. Additionally, a detailed presentation of the WCO's approach to gender equality and diversity has contributed to reaching the objectives of the advanced level training to building a culture of integrity. This workshop is effective and adapted to the strategic and functional challenges of the customs administration, including in terms of management of internal affairs and collection of duties and taxes.
The WCO A-CIP Program currently supports over 20 WCO Member administrations, with funding from Norad and Canada. For more information, please contact: capacity.building@wcoomd.org.