Drafted - April 2002

Revised - March 2007

Confirmed by the Council – June 2007

Established : January 2001

Duration : Not specified

1. Mandate

The Integrity Sub-Committee acts under the overall direction of the WCO Council and Policy Commission, with administrative support provided by the WCO Secretariat.

The mandate of this Sub-Committee is to guide the WCO work in the area of Integrity.

The Integrity Sub-Committee reports directly to the Policy Commission.

2. Membership

As directed by the Council, the Integrity Sub-Committee shall be a small, well-focused yet high-level group having a balanced representation from all the WCO regions. It will consist of :

• Representatives of Customs administrations;
• Organizations or bodies from the private sector and international organizations interested in the matter.

The delegates to the Sub-Committee meetings should be high-level managers responsible for policy development and strategic direction in their administrations/organizations.

3. Purpose and Scope

The purpose of the Sub-Committee on Integrity is to :

• Act as a focal point for the design, development, implementation and evaluation of the WCO Integrity Action Plan and Integrity-related tools.
• Advise the Council, through the Policy Commission, on the appropriateness of WCO strategies and priorities necessary to promote the importance of Integrity and ensure the effective implementation of the Revised Arusha Declaration on Integrity in Customs.
• Provide a forum for the exchange of views, experiences and best-practice approaches between Member administrations.
  Ensure effective co-ordination and promotion of Integrity-related activities with the private sector and other international organizations.
• Ensure effective integration of Integrity principles in all WCO training and technical assistance programmes, conventions and other instruments.

4. Key Deliverables

The Integrity Sub-Committee will :

• Review and recommend approval of the WCO Integrity Action Plan.
• Ensure that the WCO Integrity Action Plan and various Integrity-related tools and programmes are consistent with the needs and views of Member administrations.
• Co-ordinate WCO input into appropriate international Integrity-related fora.

5. Means of Operation

Rules of procedure :

• The Sub-Committee will elect the Chairperson for a one year term among its members, before completion of the previous meeting. The retiring Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson are eligible for re-election.
• The decisions and recommendations of the Sub-Committee will be made through discussion and consensus. Any remaining procedures will follow the provisions of the Policy Commission’s Rules of Procedure.
• The Secretariat will notify the Sub-Committee members of the meeting dates and a draft meeting Agenda will be made available 30 days before the scheduled date of the meeting.
• The Secretariat will provide working documents for the meetings before the scheduled meeting date, by mail/e-mail or by placing them on the Members’ Web site.
• A report containing proceedings of the meetings will be prepared and provided to the members of the Sub-Committee, within 30 days of each meeting. Once agreed upon, the report will be provided to the next Policy Commission session.

Frequency of meetings :

The Sub-Committee will hold its meetings once a year or as deemed necessary by the Secretary General.

6. Resources Required

The Secretariat will provide the required secretarial support for the work and meetings of the Integrity Sub-Committee. It will also be responsible for the follow-up action on the decisions of the Sub-Committee and for preparing reports and documents. Two meeting days a year are required.