The WCO is pleased to announce that dedicated TFA e-learning modules on Risk Management, Post Clearance Audit, Cross Border Management and the Revised Kyoto Convention has been translated into Arabic and are now accessible on the CLiKC! Platform. These translations will benefit over 100.000 customs officers in Arabic-speaking countries. Translating these modules into Arabic constitutes a long-term investment for the WCO and will allow Members to use it as part of their blended training strategy which is the foundation for professional development in modern customs administrations.
The translations have been funded by the government of the United Kingdom through Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs under the framework of the HMRC-WCO-UNCTAD Programme, which aims at supporting customs administrations in developing countries to implement the Trade Facilitation Agreement under the framework of the WCO Mercator Programme.
The launch of these Arabic modules was first announced at the WCO regional meeting for the MENA countries, in Cairo Egypt in January 2018 and was very well received among the director generals of customs administrations in the region. Moreover, the heads of the Regional Training Centers (RTC)s and the regional vice chair for the MENA-region have committed to support the roll-out of this material and include it as part of any relevant future trainings conducted at the RTCs in Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Roll outs of this material have already started in Palestine through a mission conducted in April 2018 and through a “train the trainers” workshop at the RTC in Jordan in March 2018 with positive results. Furthermore, it has been promoted in various national workshops and trainings in Sudan, Palestine and Lebanon which confirmed the interest for this type of material. The WCO invites Members to make the best use of this material and looks forward to follow-up on how Members use it in their training programmes.
“As Vice Chair of the MENA region, I am very pleased with the launch of these four TFA specific e-learning modules in Arabic. These modules, which are focusing on core Customs activities; Post Clearance Audit, Risk Management, Coordinated Border Management and the Revised Kyoto Convention, provide a great opportunity for the Administrations in our region to use this material as part of their blended training strategy. On behalf of the MENA region I would like to express our sincere appreciation to the Government of the UK, Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and the WCO for doing this long term investment ultimately benefitting sustainable customs reform.”
HE Shaikh Ahmed bin Hamad Al Khalifa, President of Bahrain Customs, Vice Chair of the WCO MENA region