The work and international engagement of the INCU further reinforces the value of maintaining a partnership approach – working together to identify sound policy and practical operational solutions based on scientific enquiry and empirical evidence.

The INCU has emerged as an extremely relevant network, and remains at the forefront of academic research and development in the field of customs.

Since its establishment in 2005, the principal objective of the INCU has been to raise the academic standing of the customs profession. During the intervening period, the INCU has worked closely with universities, academics, as well as international organisations such as the World Customs Organization (WCO), World Trade Organization (WTO), and other international organisations to provide opportunities for debating matters of mutual interest to customs administrations and other border agencies, academia and the private sector.

Through its work, the INCU has been able to form or further cement the relationship with organisations that support the INCU objectives. Recognising the importance that many international organisations play in developing international trade and the associated customs and border management policies, the INCU has decided to increase its engagement with a broader cross-section of the international community.

While INCU continues to work closely with the WCO and WTO, it also cooperates with other international organisations such as the International Port Community Systems Association (IPCSA) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and is exploring cooperation opportunities with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), as well as donor agencies such as the World Bank to increase the knowledge and interest of the donor organisations about the academic research projects and educational programs related to Customs.

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.

Collaboration with WTO   

“Through academic research and debate the INCU strives to help the people who make big decisions in Customs to formulate strategies and policies. This is important work and it has never been more relevant.”
H.E. Ambassador Roberto Azevedo, Director-General, WTO

Recognising the important role academic research plays in international trade facilitation and that members of the INCU have been actively involved for many years in research on various aspects of trade facilitation, the INCU has been supporting the work of the WTO. This includes its active involvement in the most significant work impacting on the customs profession that has been undertaken in recent times, that is, the agreement reached by WTO members on the global trade facilitation agenda – the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement –, to which INCU has been an active contributor since 2007.

As early as 2007, INCU President Professor David Widdowson was working closely with the WTO to develop the first version of WTO Trade Facilitation Self-Assessment Guide. This guide was used by approximately 100 developing and least developed countries to assess their trade facilitation needs and priorities which enable them to participate more effectively in the WTO Trade Facilitation negotiations. In fact, according to the WTO Director-General, Roberto Azevedo, the Guidelines were central to the whole process.

Some six months after the conclusion of the Bali Agreement the INCU held the Inaugural INCU Global Conference in May 2014 with the theme “Trade Facilitation Post-Bali: Putting Policy into Practice”, which was specifically dedicated to trade facilitation and customs in the context of the WTO Bali Agreement. The conference was organised in cooperation with the State Customs Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan and was held in Baku, Azerbaijan. It was the first Customs conference that specifically addressed the Bali Agreement since it’s adopted in December 2013 and the first Customs conference that ever featured Nobel Prize Laureates.

In conference’s opening remarks H.E. Ambassador Roberto Azevêdo, Director-General of the WTO, publicly recognised the significance of the INCU’s role in promoting the trade facilitation agenda and, in response, the INCU has undertaken to continue to support the work of the WTO.

A number of papers and speeches delivered at the conference specifically discussed aspects of trade and customs in the context of the WTO Bali Agreement and the following key propositions were presented at the conference:

1. There is a need for a paradigm shift that views the role of “border management” agencies as one of Trade Flow Management.

2. Trade facilitation and supply chain security are not mutually exclusive variables but involve the same processes.

3. Meta data and targeting are necessary to risk management and traffic segmentation.

4. Fragmented border management is an artifact of history that globalisation requires revisiting.

5. There is a need to move from bilateral border relations to binational relationships transnationally.

The INCU Baku Resolution on the future direction of the organisation adopted on the last day of the conference (Baku, 23 May 2014) determined that INCU would continue to support the work of the WTO Committee on Trade Facilitation through a range of initiatives, including empirical studies to help inform decision-making and address the above key propositions that were made at the Inaugural INCU Global Conference.

Collaboration with IPCSA

Recognising the important role that Port Community Systems play in the smooth flow of cargo around the world, the INCU established collaboration with the International Port Community Systems Association (IPCSA).

Among other things, IPCSA aims to ensure that the importance of Port Community System (PCS) operators is recognised internationally and in the EU and to promote the highest possible standards in European and international PCS operators.

Having identified the potential synergies and common areas of interest, the INCU and IPCSA have resolved to develop a long-term strategic alliance that will mutually benefit both organisations and their members. On 23 May 2014, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between INCU and IPCSA (which was then known as the European Ports Community Systems Association (EPCSA)) was signed with the goal of:

• developing a long-term strategic alliance that will mutually benefit both organisations and their members; and

• promoting cooperation in the development and provision of world-class research and education.

The MOU was signed by IPCSA Chairman, Mr Alan Long, IPCSA Secretary General, Mr Richard Morton, INCU President Prof. David Widdowson and former INCU Head of Secretariat, Dr Mikhail Kashubsky on the last day of the Inaugural INCU Global Conference 2014 “Trade Facilitation Post-Bali: Putting Policy into Practice”.

As part of the MOU, INCU became an Associate Member of IPCSA and in turn, IPCSA became an Affiliate of INCU.

The initial objective of the two organisations is to develop new curriculum modules based around PCSs and their important role in international trade facilitation and to stimulate multidisciplinary academic research in this area.

The INCU supports and participates in the IPCSA Research Committee, which monitors multidisciplinary initiatives launched by organisations and academic institutions about PCS and related topics.

The inaugural meeting of the IPCSA Research Committee with the theme “Future Challenges and Opportunities for Port Community Systems” took place on 13 November 2014 in Le Havre, France. The purpose of the meeting was to have an open discussion between experts in the field of PCS and to review and understand how PCS will be involved in the ever changing environment of trade facilitation and the electronic exchange of information.

The meeting was attended some 40 participants and featured a number of speakers from European and international organisations who spoke about existing research relevant to PCS and the impact it has on the future of trade facilitation. INCU Member, Dr Christopher Dallimore, represented INCU at this meeting and updated the participants on INCU academic and research activities relevant to PCS.

Collaboration with GFP

INCU is a Core Partner of the Global Facilitation Partnership for Transportation and Trade.

To increase its engagement with a broad cross-section of the international community and support the efforts of the international community in promoting and enhancing international trade facilitation, the INCU has become a Core Partner of the Global Facilitation Partnership for Transportation and Trade (GFP).

The GFP aims at pulling together all interested parties, public and private, national and international, who want to help achieve significant improvements in transport and trade facilitation. The Partners have together agreed to design and undertake specific programs towards meeting this objective, making use of their respective comparative advantage in the subject matter in a coordinated fashion.

As a GFP Core Partner, the INCU is committed to supporting the objectives of the GFP by:

• Providing intellectual collaboration on research and development programs related to the GFP purpose;

• contributing to the development of a comprehensive framework of transport and trade facilitation benchmarks;

• sharing and dissemination of knowledge regarding the various GFP topics, and posting relevant documents on the GFP website;

• contributing to any commonly agreed initiative aimed at promoting trade and transport facilitation through education, training and targeted technical assistance activities;

• contributing to the design and implementation of suitable capacity building programs; and

• contributing to the development and implementation of trade facilitation norms, standards, strategies and instruments to enhance the efficient flow of information throughout the entire trade transaction process.

Among other things, INCU regularly shares information and resources relating to aspects of transport and trade facilitation through the GFP website. The website is maintained by the GFP Core Partners and informs both on GFP partner activities and other important trade facilitation events worldwide.