With a firm commitment to strengthening transparency and institutional ethics within its Customs administration, the State Customs Committee of Azerbaijan hosted an intensive technical workshop from 16 to 20 June 2025 focused on the development of its forthcoming National Integrity Strategy. The activity took place at the facilities of the WCO Regional Office for Capacity Building (ROCB). It was organized with financial support from the Customs Cooperation Fund – Germany and featured the participation of experts from the World Customs Organization (WCO), including a Pre-accredited Customs Modernization Advisor – Integrity Development from the Ministry of Finance of Japan, as well as a specialist from the A-CIP Programme, both of whom actively contributed to the facilitation of the workshop.
The workshop built upon discussions initiated during a regional anti-corruption event held in 2023 and deepened those themes from a practical and institutional development perspective. Participants engaged in an in-depth analysis of the principles outlined in the Revised Arusha Declaration and the WCO Integrity Development Guide (IDG), tailoring them to the operational context of the State Customs Committee.
Key outcomes included tangible progress in identifying integrity standards for critical functions, analyzing international good practices, and drafting a preliminary roadmap for designing an integrity strategy and corresponding action plan. The workshop also contributed to institutional capacity building by promoting the use of the IDG as a planning and continuous improvement tool.
The dedication and active participation of the State Customs Committee officials were instrumental to the success of this mission, clearly demonstrating a strong commitment to building a more ethical, effective, and internationally aligned customs administration.
The WCO reaffirms its commitment to supporting Azerbaijan in this transformative process, strengthening institutional capacities, and fostering an organizational culture rooted in ethics and transparency.
The WCO has committed all its three core functions – standard setting, cooperation, and capacity building – to support its Members in building integrity and fighting corruption. For more information regarding the ongoing work of the WCO in the area of integrity, please contact integrity@wcoomd.org