The WCO Security Programme conducted a national Strategic Trade Control Enforcement (STCE) Workshop in Baku, Azerbaijan on 9-12 October 2018.

The Regional Office for Capacity Building of the World Customs Organization in Baku holds a special place on the timeline of the STCE programme: in October 2013 the State Custom Committee of Azerbaijan hosted at this venue the European leg of the series of workshops preceding Operation Cosmo (2014), the first of its kind operation targeting strategic commodities. 

Five years has passed since that event which necessitated the return of the STCE programme to Baku and improve Azeri Customs’ capacities to comply with non-proliferation obligations set forth by the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1540 (2004). At the training, frontline staff was introduced to the concept of STCE and to ways to identify weapons of mass destruction, their constituent parts, means of delivery and dual-use materials and items needed to manufacture them.

The event also served as an opportunity to accredit Azerbaijan’s first WCO STCE trainer.

Should your administration be interested in hosting a national STCE workshop, please contact Adam Vas, STCE Programme Coordinator at WCO (Adam.Vas@wcoomd.org ).