GCI Training Workshops

Training workshops are intended to build on the foundation set during the senior-level policy dialogues by providing targeted assistance to host country officials on topics identified as priorities during or following the senior-level policy dialogues. Comprehensive training programs will be held in the following targeted regions:

• Southeast Asia Training Workshop - Hanoi, Vietnam, November 3-7, 2008
• Brazil Training Workshop - Fortaleza, Brazil, November 16-17, 2009
• East African Community Training Workshop - Mombasa, Kenya, March 29-31, 2010

These workshops will provide week long training to senior-level customs managers and serve as vehicles to introduce US companies to foreign markets and potential buyers. The specific subjects for all the training workshops will be finalized during and following the senior-level policy dialogue.

Southeast Asia Training Workshop

The Southeast Asia Training Workshop, titled “Developing a Risk Management Framework,” was held November 3-6 in Hanoi, Vietnam. The event was attended by 29 delegates from Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam. It included comprehensive training sessions on numerous elements relating to an effective risk management program, including:

• Structuring Customs Modernization
• Southeast Asia’s Progress in Risk Management and Supply Chain Security
• Using the Private Sector to Strengthen Risk Management
• How to Collect Reliable and Useful Data for Risk Management
• Data Analysis: How to Build a Risk Profile
• Integrated Border Management: Sharing Data with Other Agencies and Countries
• The Role of Technology in Supporting Risk Management

Link to Southeast Asia Presentations

Training was provided by the contractor’s technical experts, a representative from US Customs and Border Protection, and several private sector representatives. The program also included a keynote address from Michael Michalak, US Ambassador to Vietnam. The training seminar provided excellent education to the participants, and it also provided critical networking opportunities for the private sector attendees. Attendees from all four delegations expressed interest in follow-on activities, and discussions continue about an appropriate format.

Brazil Training Workshop

The Brazil Training Workshop was held in Fortaleza and focused on Customs Modernization and Trade Facilitation. Training sessions held included:

• Customs Modernization Programs: The International Perspective
• Using the Private Sector to Strengthen Risk Management
• The Role of Technology in Risk Assessment and Security
• Public-Private Partnership
• Integrated Border Management: Domestic and Regional Harmonization
• New Systems
• Developing a National Targeting Center
• Moving Forward with Brazil's Customs Modernization

Link to Brazil Workshop Presentations

East African Community Training Workshop

The “Integrated Border Management in the East African Community: A Forum and Workshop for Senior EAC Government and Private Sector Officials” was hosted by the Government of Kenya in Mombasa, Kenya March 28-31, 2010.

The workshop provided a forum for delegates to openly and candidly discuss challenges to implementation of the EAC common market. The concept of Single Window in border management is not new and is currently being undertaken by multiple EAC countries. For this reason, the workshop addressed specific implementation issues pertaining to Single Window, including:

• Customs Modernization Programs: The International Perspective
• The Critical Role of Information Technology
• Risk Management and Post Clearance Audit
• Internationally Accepted Best Practices
• Revenue Collection and Disbursement Models including Financial Disbursement of Border Revenues Among Participating Countries
• Facilitating Trade without Impairing Security
• EAC Common Market: Implementation Solutions

The conference concluded with a question and answer session with global experts in Single Window applications, resolutions on moving forward with the attending Permanent Secretaries, and a tour of the Port of Mombasa.

Participants to the workshop included senior delegates from the five EAC countries; the EAC Secretariat; US Government agencies USAID, USTDA, and others; UNCTAD World Customs Organization; World Bank; and African Development Bank. Private sector representatives from the US and the region also participated.

Link to East African Community Workshop Presentations