The 11th annual WCO PICARD Conference was hosted by the Philippine Bureau of Customs in Manila, Philippines from 27th to 29th September 2016. The ROCB Director attended the conference as a Speaker on the Role of Research in Customs Reform and Modernization.
The conference was attended by over 250 participants from 54 countries representing Customs administrations, the academia (universities) and research institutions. Key attendees included Bureau of Customs Captain Nicanor Faeldon, and the Undersecretary of the Department of Finance of the Philippines Antonette Tionko.
The ROCB highlighted the ESA Regional Research Program, sharing the journey from its inception to the hosting of the 1st ESA Research Conference. It urged the replicating of the program in other regions, and offered to share best practices. The Director also called for partnerships between the academia, research institutions and development
Other presentations from the region came from or related to the region came from the African Union, Madagascar, South Africa and Uganda. The topical areas of focus during the conference included; Transit and Trade Facilitation, Customs Management , Digital Customs and Security, Illicit Trade in Cultural Property, AEO Benefits and Trusted Trade Lanes, Research and Academic Matters, Tobacco Control, Classification, Valuation, and Origin Matters, Reform and Modernization.