The World Customs Organization is the global centre of Customs expertise and the voice of the
international customs community. The WCO represents 186 customs administrations that collectively
process approximately 98% of world trade. "Trade facilitation" is one the three strategic objectives
of the organization highlighted in its Strategic Plan 2025-2028. To achieve this objective, the WCO
develops and updates instruments and tools, reinforces customs cooperation and collaboration with
key stakeholders, while building its members' capacity.

TFA Specific TACB resources

To support its Members with World Trade Organization (WTO) Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA)
implementation, in June 2014 the WCO launched its flagship Mercator Programme. The Mercator Programme is a unique initiative that allows for uniform implementation of the TFA by applying WCO instruments and tools and is supported by the practical experiences of the global Customs community. 

Under the Multi-Year (MY) Mercator Implementation activities can be delivered to a member engaged
with the WCO under the MY Mercator approach, associated to or delivered directly from a MY
Mercator Implementation Plan, irrespective of whether the activity is related to a specific TFA Article:
related to specific TFA article includes TFA diagnostic missions and implementation planning
activities; not related to a specific TFA article focuses on organizational development (Train of
Trainers Stakeholder Engagement, Donor Engagement, Performance Measurement, Gender Equality
and Diversity (GED), Integrity, Strategic Planning, etc.). 

Brief description of any upcoming assistance and activities

The Global Trade Facilitation Programme (GTFP, 2024-2027). Second phase of the prorgamme funded by the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs of Switzerland (SECO) to empower beneficiary Customs administrations to lead, plan, and implement sustainable and transparent Customs reforms (GTFP).

The WCO Anti-Corruption and Integrity Promotion (A-CIP) Programme. A multi-donor initiative that supports Members seeking to implement integrity-related initiatives in line with the WCO Revised Arusha Declaration. These include customs modernization and reform, transparency, automation, and regulatory framework focus areas reflected in Members' category C TFA commitments. A new phase of the Programme is expected to begin January 2026 with funding from the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad) and includes a facility to provide technical assistance and capacity building support to all requesting WCO Members.

The Accelerate Trade Facilitation Programme (ACTFP, 2022-2026). Programme supported by the United Kingdom's His Majesty's Revenue & Customs (HMRC) and implemented jointly by UNCTAD. It aims to support effective implementation of the TFA. Currently supports customs administrations in 13 Member administrations – both on TFA measures as well as cross-cutting enablers in Customs organisational development such as integrity, leadership, Gender, Equality and Diversity (GED) and performance measurement.

The WCO/Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Joint Project iIs flagship programme is the Master Trainer Programme (MTP) that aims to establish more sustainable and autonomous training capacity through the development of a pool of expert trainers. Under this programme, a pool of approximately 210 Master Trainers has been developed in East, Southern and West Africa and the Pacific Islands until June 2024 on the following Customs subjects: HS Classification, Customs Valuation (CV), Post-Clearance Audit (PCA), Risk Management (RM)/Intelligence Analysis, and Rules of Origin (RoO). Ongoing and upcoming activities of project are the MTP on RM and a programme on Time Release Study (TRS) for Central Asia and the Caucasus; the MTP on RM and that on PCA for the Pacific Islands; and the MTP on GEOINT (geospatial intelligence) for Africa.

How to request assistance (contact point(s)

WCO Capacity Building delivery is based on multi-year project planning as well as on the annual capacity building needs assessment carried out by the Secretariat together with Member Customs administrations and supported by the Regional Offices for Capacity Building (ROCBs).

Exceptionally, developing and least developed countries (LDCs) could submit urgent and important unaddressed needs for assistance to the WCO Implementation and Capacity Development Directorate (capacity.building [at] wcoomd.org (capacity[dot]building[at]wcoomd[dot]org)) throughout the WCO financial year, which will be assessed and prioritized before potentially being included in the Organization’s work plans.

Interested development partners and donor institutions may contact the Project Management Office and the Stakeholder Engagement Office regarding further cooperation, including financial support for technical assistance and capacity building projects.