Imagine a world where customs officers across the globe share a unified, up-to-date professional knowledge framework, capable of efficiently navigating the increasingly complex international trade environment. This vision not only enhances customs operations but also lays a solid foundation for smoother global trade. The World Customs Organization (WCO) is committed to realizing this vision through the revision and enhancement of its PICARD Professional Standards (PS).
PICARD Professional Standards: A Decade of Setting Industry Benchmarks
Over the past ten years, WCO's PICARD Professional Standards have played a pivotal role worldwide. Serving as the cornerstone for customs education curriculum development, these standards provide authoritative references for internal training within customs administrations and serve as key benchmarks for evaluating university programs related to customs. These efforts have significantly elevated the professional profile of customs careers while making outstanding contributions to global trade security and facilitation.
Embracing Change: Comprehensive Upgrade of PICARD Professional Standards
Facing the rapidly evolving global trade landscape and its accompanying challenges and opportunities, WCO recognized the need for a comprehensive upgrade of the PICARD Professional Standards to better meet contemporary requirements. On September 13, 2018, a critical phase of this upgrade process began with the second PS review meeting at WCO headquarters in Brussels. Chaired by WCO Deputy Secretary General Ricardo Treviño Chapa, the meeting brought together representatives from the Capacity Building Directorate and academic institutions to discuss revision directions and specific content.
Global Expertise: International Team Supports Revision Process
To ensure the revised standards reflect the latest developments and best practices in global customs, WCO assembled an international team of top experts. This group included distinguished scholars and industry professionals from prestigious institutions such as the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA), Charles Sturt University (Australia), University of Münster (Germany), University of Costa Rica, Cross-Border Research Association (Switzerland), and Riga Technical University (Latvia). Their collective expertise provided substantial support for the revision process.
Key Focus Areas: Addressing Contemporary Customs Challenges
The upgraded PICARD Professional Standards will cover several critical areas to better meet modern customs requirements:
- Public-Private Partnerships: Emphasizing closer collaboration between customs and private sectors to address trade security and facilitation challenges through improved information sharing and risk management.
- Customs-Tax Integration: Exploring enhanced cooperation models between customs and tax authorities to improve revenue collection and combat smuggling through information sharing and joint enforcement.
- Coordinated Border Management: Promoting inter-agency coordination at borders to improve efficiency and security through information exchange and collaborative enforcement.
- Emerging Trends: Addressing new challenges and opportunities presented by e-commerce and digital trade models.
- Security: Strengthening focus on trade security issues including supply chain security and intellectual property protection.
- Trade Facilitation: Promoting simplified procedures and efficiency improvements to reduce trade costs.
- Technological Advancements: Exploring applications of AI, big data, and blockchain in customs operations.
- Project Management: Highlighting the importance of project management skills in modern customs administration.
PICARD Conference in Turkey: Shaping the Future of Professional Standards
During the 13th PICARD Conference in October 2018, WCO organized a roundtable discussion on the future of PICARD Professional Standards. This session provided participants with a platform to exchange ideas and share experiences about improving and promoting the standards to better serve global customs capacity building.
The Far-Reaching Impact of PICARD Professional Standards
The upgrade of PICARD Professional Standards represents more than a routine revision—it signifies a significant advancement in global customs capacity building. The enhanced standards will provide customs professionals with a more comprehensive knowledge framework to better navigate complex international trade environments, thereby improving operational efficiency and fostering healthier global trade development. Furthermore, the widespread adoption of these standards will elevate the professional stature of customs careers, attracting more talented individuals to contribute to trade security and facilitation worldwide.