The World Customs Organization (WCO) has taken a significant step toward expanding its pool of Customs Modernization Advisors for Human Resource Management and Development (CMA-HRMD) in the Asia Pacific region. A pivotal pre-accreditation workshop hosted by the Regional Training Center (RTC) Indonesia was a testimony to this effort. The crucial event, held from June 3 to June 7, 2024, in Jakarta, was supported by the Japan Customs Cooperation Fund.

The workshop, a response to the increasing demand for HRMD capacity building and technical assistance within Customs Administrations, served as a platform for the WCO to assess selected experts and ensure they possess the necessary knowledge and skills to support human capital management improvements in Member Administrations.

At the workshop’s opening, Mr. Rizki Baidillah, Deputy Director of International Affairs II of the Directorate General of Customs and Excise of Indonesia, underscored the importance of robust HRMD frameworks in enhancing productivity and achieving organizational goals. He emphasized the workshop's timeliness in preparing HRMD professionals to drive change and mentor Customs administrations effectively.

The five-day intensive workshop enabled the selected expert participants from China, Indonesia, Japan, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam to engage in interactive sessions and demonstrate their knowledge, skills, and attitudes as experts in HRMD and organizational development. 

Successful participants in this phase of the accreditation process were designated as WCO pre-accredited CMA-HRMDs. They will now move on to the next phase, which consists of conducting in-country missions to demonstrate their expertise in real-life situations. Successful completion of these missions will result in their full accreditation as WCO CMA-HRMDs.

Closing the workshop, Mr. Mardial, Director on Duty of RTC Indonesia, highlighted the importance of the event, stating that the workshop represented a crucial milestone in the WCO's efforts to enhance human resource management across the Asia-Pacific region and globally. He emphasized that the event not only served to expand the pool of experts but also fostered a collaborative spirit among the participating Members, promoting a unified approach to tackling common challenges in customs modernization and HRMD.

For more information about this activity and the WCO People Development Programme, please contact capacity.building@wcoomd.org