“Partnership in Customs Academic Research and Development”
The first PICARD Conference was held from 1 to 3 March 2006 in Brussels, Belgium and was hosted by the World Customs Organization.
Conference Summary
The PICARD Conference was intended for specialists in customs development, universities and research institutions with an interest in international trade and customs issues, Customs HR practitioners, Customs and trade executives, consultants and representatives from international organizations. The inaugural PICARD Conference was attended by some 90 delegates, representing universities, research establishments, training managers, planning managers and the private sector.
The Conference started with opening remarks by WCO Deputy Secretary General, Mr. Kunio Mikuriya, Director Capacity Building for the WCO, Mr. Lars Karlsson, and Chairperson of the conference, Mr. Jan Janson.
In his welcome address, WCO Deputy Secretary General, Mr. Kunio Mikuriya invited the delegates to explore the potential for research in Customs and expressed the hope that it would herald the start of long mutually beneficial relationships. He emphasised the need for Customs to modernise its procedures and organisation and improve its efficiency implied a need for professional development for customs officers.
Mr. Lars Karlsson, Director Capacity Building for the WCO, announced that this new WCO initiative would be known as the PICARD Programme and that it was one of the key pillars of the WCO capacity-building policy.
Mr. Jan Janson, Chairperson of the conference, explained the Programme and outlined the goals of the Conference.
The Conference was divided into two themes. The first was to examine existing and current research in the field of Customs and to explore how the institutions and the WCO could play a role in further development. The second was to examine the need for professionalisation in Customs, in particular, how the field of Customs could be developed as a specialised area of study and how course recognition and accreditation could be standardised and accepted internationally.
The Conference concluded that co-operation was vital and that the WCO should continue its activities in this respect. All felt that the Conference had been a positive opportunity to get together and address an important new area of development. Conference delegates are looking to the WCO to play a central role in setting standards for professional development in Customs and devising mechanisms for validation and evaluation.
Conference Documents
- Conference Report: English
Conference Presentations
The following presentations were delivered at the conference:
|
TITLE |
SPEAKER(S) |
|
| If institutions matter what is the economic benefit of Customs? | Dr Donald Feaver & Dr Kenneth Wilson | EN |
| Future Research Agenda for Supply Chain Security, Border Security and Port Security Management. | Mr Juha Hints | EN |
| Raising the Portcullis. | Prof. David Widdowson | EN |
| Developing a Professional Organization – Kenya Revenue Authority | Creck Buyonge, S.M.A. Analo, Sophia G. Abuga, Miriam M. Sila, David Widdowson | EN |
| Meeting of Universities and Research Establishments – A Research Agenda | WCO | EN |
| Research | WCO | EN |
| Professionalization of Customs in Latvia | Prof. Dr Aivars Krastins | EN |
| The Regulatory Implications of Trade Agreement Obligations | Dr Donald Feaver & Dr Kenneth Wilson | EN |
| Establishment of an Academic Journal | Prof Dr Hans-Michael Wolffgang | EN |
| Trends in International Trade: Key Issues for the World Bank and Customs | Paul Brenton | EN |
| University of Munster in North-Rhine Westfalia, Germany | University of Munster | EN |
| Zayed University CBEX – Center for Business Excellence | Zayed Univeristy | EN |
Download All PICARD 2006 Conference Presentations ! (Members-only resource)