Closing of the 7th Training and Human Resources Managers Workshop for the West and Central African Region of the World Customs Organization - Participants adopt nine recommendations
27 Sep, 2017
The 7th Regional Workshop for Training and Human Resources Managers (HR) of customs administrations of the member countries of the West and Central African Region of the World Customs Organization (WCO) ended on Wednesday, September 27, 2017 at the Regional Training Center (RTC) in Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo.
The 22 participants in the three-day training workshop made nine recommendations.
It is up to the customs administrations of the region to get training and human resources managers involved in self-assessment of the Regional Strategic Plan, to provide the initial training of new officers on the basics of the customs function, based on an ability acquisition approach. Afterwards, it will be up to the Regional Office for Capacity Building (ROCB) in Abidjan to take ownership of the Regional Training Strategy document written by the World Customs Organization (WCO), and to adapt it to the local environment, so as to make it a regional training strategy. The regional office was also asked to set the deadline for administrations to set up internal mechanisms to promote ethics, good governance and community spirit.
In addition, the participants recommended that the vice-chair should include the theme of enhancing the value of the Human Resources (HR) function in customs administrations on the agenda of the Conference of executive directors, but also to send a formal request for assistance within the framework of the modernization of customs administrations in West Africa (MCAWAP) project to the WCO General Secretariat, for those administrations that have not yet got any assistance.
The WCO secretariat has to assist customs administrations in setting up an e-learning platform, for those administrations with a human resources and training strategy.
At the workshop in Brazzaville, the vice chair and the ROCB were asked to add two more days to the three ones so far set for the holding of each HR managers' capacity building workshops.
Finally, The workshop in the Congolese capital city recommended that the Regional Training Centers (RTCs) should work closely with the MCAWAP Program secretariat in order to be more involved in capacity building activities in the region.
As he was closing the proceedings, the Principal Private Secretary, Emmanuel Akouala-Mpan, representing the Congolese Minister of finance and budget, honourable Calixte Nganongo, hoped that the recommendations would be made known within the respective customs administrations. Likewise, their implementation should regularly be followed up. In short, these recommendations are intended to produce expected results.
Before leaving Brazzaville, the heads of delegations met the Minister of finance and budget of the host country.
