On 30 April 2026, the World Customs Organization (WCO) Secretary General officially launched a webinar series dedicated to the WCO’s theme of the year: “Customs Protecting Society through Vigilance and Commitment.”
This initiative provides a dynamic platform to advance strategic dialogue on the evolving role of customs in safeguarding societies, while showcasing the concrete contributions of WCO members in addressing global threats.
First webinar: Disrupting Fentanyl Supply Chains
The inaugural session focused on the theme: “Protecting Society: Customs’ Strategic Role in Disrupting Fentanyl Supply Chains.” This high-level discussion underscored the critical role of customs administrations in combating the global fentanyl crisis and broader synthetic drug threats that continue to endanger public health and security.
In his opening remarks, the WCO Secretary General emphasised that “a cornerstone of our work to protect society from the harms of illicit drugs lies in our regional and global enforcement operations. These operations are designed not only to detect, intercept, and seize illicit substances, but also to go further, by triggering and supporting investigations aimed at dismantling the criminal networks behind them”.
Strengthening Global Cooperation Against Drug Trafficking
The opening ceremony featured a video message from the INTERPOL Secretary General, who highlighted the essential importance of strengthened cooperation between customs and police authorities in dismantling transnational criminal networks involved in drug trafficking.
Keynote address: The Evolving Fentanyl Threat
The executive director of the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) delivered a compelling keynote address. He highlighted that despite growing enforcement successes, criminal networks remained highly adaptive, expanding in scale and sophistication, and continuing to pose serious risks to public safety and border security. He stressed that these challenges could not be addressed by enforcement alone or by any single country acting in isolation. He concluded: “Fentanyl and synthetic drugs compel us to think beyond overdose. They challenge customs administrations to protect not only borders, but public health, economic integrity and societal stability. Our experience in Canada reinforces a shared truth: no country can confront this threat alone.”
Panel discussion: Strengthening the Global Response
A highly engaging panel discussion on “Customs’ Fight Against the Fentanyl Threat: Protecting Society from Drug Trafficking” brought together experts from US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the WCO and the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB).
The discussion highlighted key enablers in the global response, including: enhanced international cooperation, advanced risk management approaches, greater use of data and intelligence sharing and deployment of innovative technologies. Speakers emphasised that coordinated action and information exchange remained essential to disrupting illicit supply chains and protecting communities worldwide.
The strong attendance and high level of engagement underscored the topic’s significance for a wide range of stakeholders. Enhancing public awareness remains key in the fight against drugs, especially synthetic substances. The WCO’s commitment to combating the illicit trade in drugs is demonstrated through tailored capacity building, the development of detection tools and technologies, support for detector dogs and the running of regional and global operations, as well as encouraging cooperation among relevant stakeholders, all of which are critical to supporting customs and law enforcement in tackling these societal and health issues.
Looking ahead
This webinar marks the beginning of a series of five webinars dedicated to strengthening customs’ role in protecting society. The next session, scheduled for 12 June 2026, will focus on the role of customs in combating money laundering and further explore the intersection of trade, financial crime and global security.
