RESULTS
Provide leadership, guidance and support to Customs administrations
The WCO has set as its main Strategic Goal to provide leadership, guidance and support to its Members. Pursuing the overall goals linked to the WCO’s mission, the Secretariat will focus on the delivery of initiatives promoting more facilitation, fairer revenue collection and better protection of society, all supported by sustained efforts in organizational development.
MEMBERS’ PERSPECTIVE
- SO1. Trade facilitation
- SO2. Revenue collection
- SO3. Protection of society
- SO4. Organizational development
This layer of the Strategic Plan is related to Members’ expectations in terms of facilitation, revenue collection and protection of society, all supported by organizational development. These represent the definition of the role of Customs at borders and in trade supply chains, and the need for Customs administrations to be well managed and internally efficient. Concrete deliverables have been defined in all of these strategic objectives, in order to reinforce the expertise of Members and the Secretariat in their current areas of work, but also to address them with a fresh look and assess what might be the future needs in order to remain relevant. The activities in each of these fields will be distributed around the development and update of instruments (SP1), the reinforcement of Customs cooperation and cooperation with key stakeholders (SP2), and capacity building activities (SP3). The supporting functions (SP4 and SP5), and the focus areas, will also impact the development of initiatives under each of the strategic objectives.
WCO FUNCTIONS
WCO core functions
SP1. Develop, maintain and implement instruments
The first core function of the WCO is to provide Members with an adequate set of instruments with which to face the realities of the modern world. This function can be implemented through the development of new tools, responding to new opportunities and challenges, and also through the update of existing tools, to make them fit for purpose with regard to these opportunities and challenges.
SP2. Foster Customs cooperation
The second core function of the WCO is to promote and support coordination and cooperation, both between Customs and with other agencies and the private sector. Further cooperation can support the implementation of standards and raise the influence of Customs at borders. This function therefore focuses on the practical aspects of Customs-to-Customs cooperation, by supporting the exchange of information and intelligence, facilitated by the organization and conduct of joint operations.
SP3. Build capacity
The third core function relates to the delivery of capacity building support and technical assistance to Members. The actions undertaken in this area help Members implement WCO standards and tools (SP1) and strengthen Customs cooperation (SP2). To support the modernization of Customs, these actions also provide assistance in developing the organizational capacity of Customs administrations. In addition, the Strategic Plan will aim at improving the overall approach of the WCO in terms of capacity building delivery, especially through the development and maintenance of the needed expertise in key areas.
WCO supporting functions
SP4. Research
Research activities will be aligned fully with the core functions and focus areas of the WCO, and with full consideration to the desirable futures of the Environmental Scan, in order to adequately respond to the main areas of focus of the WCO as a whole. Research activities will clearly feed the overall direction taken by the WCO, and will support the development of material to respond to current opportunities and challenges while preparing the future. These initiatives will be fully integrated within WCO processes to make sure that Research is responding directly to the targets and objectives of the Strategic Plan.
SP5. Communicate
Communication is an area that requires renewed focus by the WCO, and communication objectives, planning and activities need to be formulated around the content of the Strategic Plan. To reach out to a wider audience and raise awareness of the important work carried out by Customs globally, the WCO will have to join hands with Customs administrations to devise global and regional communication plans and strategies to raise the profile of Customs and bolster the role of the WCO in the international arena.
WCO FOCUS
FA1. Technology and innovation
The importance of technology is undisputed in today’s world, and could still be further explored by the WCO at many levels. Considering the diversity of its membership, the Organization should focus on reducing the digital gap between Members and initiating concrete steps towards the full digitalization of procedures, the use of data analytics and the exchange of information in a dematerialized way. Technology and innovation are essential to modern and efficient Customs operations and to facilitating cooperation among Customs agencies and their stakeholders. This area is therefore absolutely fundamental for the future of Customs and the WCO cannot be lagging behind in this respect.
FA2. Green Customs
As highlighted by the Environmental Scan 2021, the world’s mindset regarding sustainable development and the protection of the environment has changed significantly in recent years. The WCO should prepare itself to deliver a strong message and concrete activities on behalf of the Customs community. The Strategic Plan will ensure that sufficient attention is paid to this and that concrete initiatives are explored to point the WCO in the right direction in this area. In particular, trade-related aspects will be further studied, such as the circular economy and waste management. A global reflection will also be launched to assess how WCO instruments might be amended and reviewed to further integrate the environmental aspect and contribute to the global green economy.
FA3. Governance and accountability
The governance aspect is of particular interest for WCO Members, including the need to modernize the WCO in order to ensure its viability and sustainability over time. The WCO, as an international organization, needs to be governed by high standards, implying full transparency and accountability in its activities and the proper involvement of Members in its decision-making process. This focus area foresees the development of a concrete modernization plan for the WCO, which would integrate a series of deliverables aiming at ensuring the world-class management of the WCO.
WCO IMPROVEMENT
ORG1. Remediation plan
The WCO has undertaken to mitigate the main risks identified in the risk mapping, through concrete actions and timelines, supported by both Members and the Secretariat. As the mitigation process needs to be dynamic and constant, the objective is to ensure a continuous follow-up regarding the implementation of the Remediation plan as well as a regular update of the risk map on a three-year basis to make sure that the WCO is adequately focusing its attention. Effectively responding to the main risks surrounding its activities and applying proper risk control will place the WCO in the right direction as a strong and viable Organization.
ORG2. Update working methods
The process of updating WCO working methods began a few years ago and constitutes a continuous process as the amount of work involved is quite significant. Working methods can be applied at various levels within the Organization, including the management and conduct of working bodies, the daily work of the Secretariat’s staff, the procedures of the Organization, etc. The Strategic Plan will make sure that efforts are ongoing in this area and that the working methods of the WCO remain up-to-date considering the global environment and needs.