A WCO Sub-regional Workshop on Integrity for the Pacific was organized from 27-29 July 2016 at the request of Fiji Revenue and Customs Authority (FRCA) under the sponsorship of CCF Japan and took place in conjunction with the official ceremony of the handover of the WCO Regional Vice-Chairmanship to Fiji. The ceremony was held in the presence of Attorney General Aiyaz Sayed Khaiyum, WCO Secretary General, Kunio Mikuriya, and Director General of the Royal Malaysian Customs Department Dato Khazali Bin Ahmad.

The workshop was officially opened by Mr. Das, Acting Chief Executive Officer of FRCA who highlighted the important role of Customs while indicating that the "foundation of Customs realm was integrity and called for a firm commitment at the highest level to maintaining a high standard of integrity throughout the civil service and border agencies.

The WCO Secretary General in his speech referred to the importance of integrity for Customs, emphasized the need for automation, in particular with a view to measuring performance through data mining using Customs automated clearance systems and stressed the importance of sound human resources management.

The participants shared their experiences in a very open manner. The presence of high level senior officials demonstrated a clear commitment from the region to address this issue at a high level. A way forward and a timetable for action were established and the participants committed to be part of a virtual working group to keep on working on the issues discussed during the meeting.