On 30 March 2026, the World Customs Organization (WCO) issued a press release that offered the following articulations:
- Strong, transparent Customs institutions are crucial for economic growth and competitiveness.
- It is fundamental to protect Customs from corruption and threats posed by organised crime.
- Through the WCO, Customs administrations have access to comprehensive guidance material and tools, as well as tailor-made technical support.
The WCO was represented at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) annual Global Anti-Corruption & Integrity Forum (GACIF) held recently in Paris, France. The event explored how integrity and anti-corruption efforts, which have traditionally been seen as safeguards, can also serve as engines of performance, resilience and innovation. With international trade a powerful driver of economic development and a sector where corruption risks are high and multifaceted, many discussions highlighted the critical role of Customs in fostering integrity and combating corruption. The WCO Deputy Secretary General (SG) and WCO representatives shared insights gained through the WCO’s capacity-building and consultations with its members.
Building upstream resilience to organised crime
As criminal networks grow more sophisticated, the threat they pose to society and the economy through corruption, infiltration and intimidation demands decisive action. With this in mind, the GACIF opened on Monday, 23 March 2026, with a “Conference on Building Upstream Resilience to Organised Crime” during which participants explored how countries can effectively prevent and respond to corruption driven by organised crime.
In his remarks, WCO Deputy SG highlighted the vulnerabilities in global supply chains that criminal organisations seek to exploit, emphasised Customs’ pivotal role in building upstream resilience against such organisations and explained how the WCO is actively supporting its members in bolstering their integrity.
Citing data collected by Customs administrations that participated in the WCO Customs Integrity Perception Survey (CIPS), he revealed that in some of those administrations, up to 20% of Customs officials acknowledged facing threats or pressure from organised crime. The WCO DG explained that the WCO provides its members with a platform to discuss how to respond to such issues and to share efficient measures and practices through its Integrity Sub-Committee. For example, guidance has been provided on how to spark meaningful discussions about the risk of criminal infiltration and to equip staff with the knowledge and skills to determine the best course of action in the face of a threatening situation.
Strengthening Customs integrity as an economic strategy
The WCO Deputy SG (DSG) also addressed the GACIF Plenary, underscoring how strong, transparent Customs institutions are crucial for economic growth and competitiveness. The WCO DSG stressed that strengthening Customs institutional integrity is not just an issue of better governance but also of economic strategy, as Customs facilitates legal trade while also enforcing rules designed to protect national interests.
The WCO DSG’s remarks echoed discussions held earlier in the day during a GACIF Knowledge Partner Session hosted by the WCO Anti-Corruption and Integrity Promotion (A-CIP) Programme team, one of the WCO’s flagship capacity-building programmes. During this side event, speakers from the OECD, the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the Ukrainian State Customs Service and the WCO discussed how building a culture of integrity within Customs fuelled economic development, as well as how to leverage data and performance metrics to inform the development of efficient integrity policies and initiatives. Participants acknowledged the lack of inclusion of Customs in national governments’ anti-corruption strategies. WCO representatives highlighted that insights gained by conducting a CIPS or implementing the WCO Performance Measurement Mechanism (PMM) can greatly contribute to the success of such strategies.
Matching ambition with capacity
Discussions at the GACIF reaffirmed the strategic importance of building integrity within Customs. They underscored Customs’ critical role in fostering economic prosperity. This view is shared by WCO members, who have made integrity a core Customs value in the WCO Strategic Plan 2025-2028 and have identified tangible paths towards integrating integrity principles into work programmes related to trade facilitation, revenue collection and the protection of society. Thanks to the Government of Norway, which has renewed its funding for the WCO A-CIP Programme, the WCO will be able to continue supporting the Customs community in implementing WCO-recommended practices and tools over the next five years.