Collaboration with WCO

The INCU is the WCO’s conduit to academia and privileged working partner.

The INCU Management Committee works in close cooperation with the WCO Capacity Building Directorate and WCO Research Unit to promote the academic standing of the Customs profession.

The primary areas of cooperation between the INCU and WCO are identified below.

WCO
INCU
PICARD Programme Cooperative Initiative Cooperative Initiative
INCU Network WCO Support INCU Initiative
World Customs Journal WCO Support INCU Initiative
Customs Research Database WCO Support INCU Initiative
Professional Standards WCO Initiative INCU Support
Recognition of University Curricula WCO Initiative INCU Support
Columbus Programme WCO Initiative INCU Support

The WCO PICARD Programme, which was established in 2006, is one of the main areas of collaboration between INCU and WCO. In particular, INCU works closely with WCO Capacity Building Directorate on aspects relating to customs education, professional standards, and accreditation of university customs curricula; and it works closely the WCO Research Unit on matters relating to research development and the organisation of annual PICARD Conference and coordination and cooperation in research activities and publications.

On 30 September 2009, at the 4th WCO PICARD Conference in San Jose, Costa Rica the INCU and WCO signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the two organisations to promote cooperation in the development of world-class customs training, education, capacity building and research, which marked a significant milestone in the partnership between the INCU and the WCO. The MOU, which formally recognises the INCU as the single point of contact between the WCO and those universities and research institutes that are active in the field of customs education and research, serves to formalise our efforts to jointly promote the academic standing of the customs profession.

Working together, the WCO and INCU have progressed a range of initiatives in the areas of educational programs, strategic management development, professional standards, academic research and development and other capacity-building aspects and activities.

While the implementation phase of the PICARD Programme is completed and we have already achieved much of what we originally set out to achieve, (that is, to raise the academic standing of the customs profession) it is now time to take things forward by acting on the possibilities that have been identified. This can best be achieved through ongoing and growing collaboration among and between academic institutions and customs administrations.

Currently, the INCU is working closely the WCO on reviewing the Professional Standards and the WCO Guidelines for Recognition of the University Customs Curricula and it is also coordinating its efforts with the WCO in relation to research and organisation of annual PICARD conferences.