The World Customs Organization (WCO), in partnership with the Government of Japan, officially concluded the 2024–2025 edition of the WCO-Japan Career Development Programme (CDP) with a completion ceremony held at WCO Headquarters in Brussels. During the ceremony, the WCO Secretary General Ian Saunders presented certificates of achievement to the 9 Professional Associates (PAs) who successfully completed the intensive programme.

Commenced in September 2024, this year’s CDP brought together Customs officials from Cape Verde, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Madagascar, Maldives, Peru, Timor-Leste, Tunisia, and Zambia. Over the course of the programme, the PAs contributed to various projects and activities at the WCO Secretariat, playing a valuable role in strengthening communication between Members and the Secretariat while also enriching the Secretariat’s diversity.

In his remarks, the Secretary General Saunders expressed his appreciation for the high quality of work delivered by the PAs, highlighting the impressive outcomes of their research and contributions. He emphasized that their efforts would bring lasting value to both the WCO and the global Customs community. Mr. Saunders also encouraged the PAs to remain connected with the WCO and to continue nurturing the professional networks they developed throughout the programme, including with one another, with their national administrations, and within their respective regions.

The WCO-Japan Career Development Programme remains a flagship initiative aimed at enhancing the professional capacity of Customs officers from developing countries and fostering future leaders in the international Customs community.