“Partnership in Customs Academic Research and Development”
The 7th WCO PICARD Conference was held from 25 to 27 September 2012 in Marrakesh, Morocco and was hosted by the University of Cadi Ayyad with support from the Customs Administration of Morocco.
Conference Summary
The annual PICARD Conference is a joint initiative of the WCO and INCU.Over 230 delegates representing WCO Members, the academic world, the private sector, other international organisations and other interested parties attended the conference. The Conference was co-chaired by the Vice-President of INCU, Professor Michael Wolffgang (University of Muenster), and Professors Mbarek Benchanaa and Abdullah Ait Ouahman (University of Cadi Ayyad).
As a platform for Customs research, the PICARD Conference 2012 continued the theme of Promoting Research-based Knowledge to Support Customs Decision-making and focused on the following three main topics: The Impact of Regional Economic Integration and Preferential Trade Arrangements on Customs Services; Emerging and Evolving Risks; and Customs Strategic Human Resource Management.
In examining and analysing these issues, Conference participants were encouraged to identify a range of solutions to address identified concerns, with a particular emphasis on capacity building, improving performance and research opportunities.
In his welcome speech, the WCO Secretary General, Dr Kunio Mikuriya, stated that the annual PICARD Conference is aimed at promoting high level exchanges on Customs education and professionalism and to encourage more research in cooperation with universities and research institutes.
Head of INCU Secretariat, Dr Mikhail Kashubsky, updated delegates on recent INCU developments and current membership base, and announced new INCU membership structure, which now allows individuals to become members of INCU in their own right.
During the Conference, a draft PICARD 2020 strategic document on the future of the PICARD Programme was introduced and discussed. The WCO advised that the draft strategic document will be further updated in the course of the coming months and then presented to the next Session of the WCO Capacity Building Committee for consideration.
It was also announced that the next years PICARD Conference will take place in St. Petersburg, Russia, in September 2013.
Conference Presentations
The following presentations were delivered at the conference:
| TITLE | SPEAKER(S) | |
| Update on WCO Capacity Building Initiatives | Mr. Erich Kieck, WCO Director, Capacity Building | EN FR |
| Rapport sur le commerce et linvestissement direct etranger pour le partenariat de Deauville | Jean-Pierre Chauffour, World Bank | EN FR |
| The role of Customs in the economic integration of East Asia: Problems and proposals | Dr. Feiyi Wang Shanghai Customs College | EN FR |
| Regional Academic Initiatives: Asia-Pacific Region | Mr. Mikhail Kashubsky, INCU Secretariat | EN |
| Rules d’origine et princess tarifaires: la douane l’revue du ronali | M. Anouar Allali Administration des Douanes et Impots Indirects (ADII) Maroc | FR |
| Transit Facilitation for Regional Economic Integration and Competitiveness | Mr. Tadashi Yasui | EN FR |
| Keywitness: Towards security crossborder supply chains research framework to support assessment of research gaps and setting up of priorities, in the context of customs risk management & future threats | Dr. Juha Hintsa Cross-border Research Association Lausanne, Switzerland | EN FR |
| RILO for Western Europe Overview of results of WCO risk analysis, including the WCO global Reports on Drugs/Tobacco/IPR | Mr. Linn Thier | EN FR |
| Customs risk management: Towards a new paradigm of management in Brazil | Cristiano Morini, Paulo Hayashi,
Luis Antonio Santa-Eulalia |
EN FR |
| Risk Management for goods imported into the customs territory of the customs union | Mr. Peter Afonin | EN |
| Customs Competence development and Professional Education Recognition | Riitta Paalanen Finnish Customs Training | EN FR |
| Customs Competence Development and Professional Education Recognition | Mr. Mark Goodger | EN |
| BuildingnewCustomsIT Systems: Challengesfor StrategicHRM a small CustomsForce | Mr. Unnur Yr Kristjansdottir | EN |
| WCO Leadership and Management Development Programme | Ms. B. Meille | EN FR |
| The WCO PICARD Programme a PICARD 2020 strategic document | Ms. Heike Barczyk, WCO Deputy Director, Capacity Building | EN FR |
| Open Data | Jhon Fonseca | EN |
| A Case Study of Leadership and Management Development at Kenya Revenue Authority, with a specific focus on Women in Leadership | Ms. Beatrice Memo | EN FR |
| Development in China Customs: Review on Leading Board Regime | Mr. ZHANG Shujie | EN |
| GIZ Contribution to Human Capacity Development for African Customs Administrations | Ms. Birgit Hahn | EN |
| WCO Office of the Secretary General Research and Strategies Unit (RSU) | Mr. Robert Ireland | EN FR |
| Why PICARD Should Adopt Cultural Intelligence as Part of Its Professional Standards | Mr. Anthony Cambas, Mrs. Valérie Berset-Price | EN |
| INCU Updates 2012 | Mr. Mikhail Kashubsky, INCU Secretariat | EN |
Download All PICARD 2012 Conference Presentations ! (Members-only resource)