The 22nd session of the WCO Integrity Sub-Committee (ISC), under the theme "Harnessing data for integrity,” was held in hybrid format from 27 to 28 February 2023. The session was chaired by Mr. Marcelin Djeuwo from Cameroon Customs. It attracted the participation of over 250 delegates representing 112 WCO Members worldwide. WCO development partners, academia and other stakeholders also attended the meeting.
In his opening address, Mr. Taeil Kang, WCO Director of Capacity Building, welcomed delegates (both in person at WCO Headquarters and online via the Zoom platform) to the 22nd session of the ISC. He outlined that integrity is one of the foundations of Customs and critical for advancing the role of Customs. He underscored that integrity in Customs is a priority for the WCO and well placed in the organization’s agenda. The Director further emphasized that in combating different forms of lack of integrity Customs, Administrations should explore adopting various solutions, including an approach which considers data analytics as a vital mechanism to address challenges related to integrity in Customs.
The Director pointed out that data analytics can serve as an effective tool, offering opportunities for detecting and measuring corruption and fraudulent activities and recommending prevention measures. He indicated that this tool could be helpful in finding other types of integrity-related irregularities, including conflicts of interest.
The 22nd session of ISC discussed and provided direction on various crucial issues related to integrity development and anti-corruption, including data-driven decision-making, corruption risk management and Customs relationship with external control agencies. In addition, the session endorsed the ISC Work Programme as part of the overall WCO Strategic Planning and reporting cycle.
It is important to highlight that the ISC Work Programme aims to consolidate topics which the ISC have been discussing and provides direction on the activities of the upcoming three-years, taking into account the need for consistency with the WCO Strategic Plan 2022-2025 and its implementation plans.
At the end of the session, Mr. Marcelin Djeuwo from the Customs Administration of Cameron, and Mr. Alvaro Fernandes, from the Customs Administration of Spain, were re-elected as the Chairperson and the Vice-Chairperson, respectively, for the next ISC session, scheduled for 2024.
The Secretariat will provide information on the date and place for the Committee’s next session later.
For more information, please contact capacity.building@wcoomd.org.