In response to a request from the Director General of Tunisian Customs, the WCO organized a national workshop on risk management / assessment from 09 to 12 June 2013 in Tunis, Tunisia. The purpose of the workshop, organized under the sponsorship of the WCO Customs Cooperation Fund Japan, was to enhance risk management capabilities of Tunisian Customs officials and embed risk management techniques in the daily customs operational processes.

The workshop benefitted from the participation of in total 35 mid- and senior-level Customs managers from headquarters, airport and sea port. Participants learned how to develop and implement a Customs risk assessment system based on profiling and targeting. They discussed the identification of key risk areas and related risk indicators applicable to land, maritime and air cargo movements. Participants were also given an opportunity to explore issues related to the identification and categorization of importers and exporters and to the implementation of intelligence tasking, intelligence briefing and an operational reporting communication cycle.

Throughout the workshop, participants consolidated their understanding of technical concepts, as outlined in the WCO Risk Management Compendium, through practical learning methods. They were also provided with an overview of other related WCO tools contained in the Compliance and Enforcement Package.

The workshop's conclusions will serve as the starting point for the formulation of an action plan for increased risk management effectiveness in Tunisian Customs.