The WCO, in its effort to increase the pool of experts assisting Members with implementation of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA), held an accreditation workshop in the WCO Regional Training Center in Kashiwa, Japan. This event was held during the week of 16-20 May 2016. It was funded by the Ministry of Finance of Japan and organizationally supported by the Japan Customs and Tariff Bureau.

The objective of the workshop for Mercator Programme Advisors (MPAs) was to identify individuals with comprehensive experience and skills in change management, strategic planning and organizational development, as well as knowledge of the TFA. As accredited experts, these advisors will be in a position to support WCO Members in the planning and implementation of their Customs modernization initiatives, particularly in relation to the TFA. They may also be called upon to facilitate dialogue with donors and policy-makers on the importance of investing in Customs reform and modernization.

Ten Customs officials from Japan participated in the workshop and were continuously assessed against a set of criteria that included their overall knowledge and strategic application of key WCO instruments and the TFA along with their potential to facilitate discussions among senior Customs and other officials in a strategic context.

At the end of the workshop, five participants successfully completed step 1 of the accreditation process as they demonstrated their potential to become MPAs during the various workshop activities. These successful candidates will be invited to participate in TFA implementation support missions under the Mercator Programme in order to complete the accreditation process. It is expected that the successful candidates are made available by their Customs administrations for further support missions in the future.