During his attendance at the March 2020 WCO Capacity Building Committee (CBC) meeting, INCU President, Prof. David Widdowson met with the WCO Secretary General, Dr. Kunio Mikuriya to discuss current activities in Customs research and education. These included developments and future plans for the WCO PICARD programme and associated initiatives being progressed by the International Network of Customs Universities (INCU), the Centre for Customs and Excise Studies, Charles Sturt University, the UK Customs Academy, and the World Customs Journal.
The Capacity Building Committee addressed several key issues including the Trade Facilitation Agreement, the WCO Mercator Programme, change management strategies, issues faced by small island economies, Customs professionalism, organisational performance measurement and the development of a WCO Declaration on Gender Equality and Diversity in Customs. As the timing of the CBC meeting coincided with International Women’s Day, a special ceremony was held to recognise the central role played by women in economic and social development.