The World Customs Organization (WCO) is an independent intergovernmental body, established in 1952 as the Customs Co-operation Council (CCC), whose mission is to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of Customs services across the globe. The WCO represents 187 Customs administrations that collectively process approximately 98% of world trade. As the global centre of Customs expertise, the WCO is the only international organization with competence in Customs matters.
As a forum for dialogue and exchange of experiences between national Customs delegates, the WCO offers its Members a wide range of conventions and other international instruments, as well as technical assistance and training services provided either directly by the Secretariat, or with its participation.
The Secretariat also actively supports its Members in their endeavours to modernize and build capacity within their national Customs administrations, as well as fostering international cooperation among them. To achieve this objective, it has developed a network of qualified experts from amongst its Members who are called upon to assist the WCO in the delivery of capacity building activities.
The pool of WCO accredited and recognized experts is a key asset in supporting the WCO’s commitment to provide effective implementation assistance and capacity-building support to its Members, as well as a hallmark of Customs-to-Customs cooperation.
The Expert Mobilization & Curriculum Management Unit (EMCM) sits within the Implementation Support Sub-Directorate of the Implementation and Capacity Development Directorate. The Sub-Directorate is tasked with overseeing the full capacity building lifecycle, from assessment of Members’ needs to development of approaches to meet those needs, including deployment of WCO experts, development of curricula and E-learning, performance measurement and quality assurance.
In July 2025, the WCO Council endorsed a new Capacity Building Paradigm, which aims to establish a novel way to plan, deliver and assess capacity-building delivery and implementation support. At the heart of this paradigm is a call for shared responsibility among all stakeholders - the WCO, beneficiary Members, regional entities and technical experts - to ensure that capacity-building interventions are relevant, evidence-based and timely, as well as measurable and impactful.
A key element of the new paradigm is the expanded reliance on the pool of WCO accredited experts as a key asset in supporting the WCO’s commitment to provide effective implementation assistance and capacity-building support to its Members, as well as a hallmark of Customs-to-Customs cooperation.
The pool of experts is managed through the automated Accredited Customs Experts (ACE) database and its dedicated portal. It comprises accredited and recognized experts serving Customs administrations, as well as external experts from the private sector, academia, and international organizations.
The Expert Mobilization & Curriculum Management Unit is responsible for the overall management of World Customs Organization (WCO) policies, procedures, and systems related to the accreditation, management, and mobilization of WCO experts. In this role, the Unit works closely with the Virtual Working Group on Expert Deployment, a consultative body composed of Member representatives that supports the continuous improvement of expert mobilization processes and procedures.
In collaboration with designated contact points within Member administrations, the Unit ensures the accuracy and currency of the WCO expert database. It is also responsible for identifying opportunities to expand and diversify the global pool of experts, as well as assessing and supporting expert-related initiatives proposed by other WCO Units.
Furthermore, the Unit coordinates the planning and implementation of accreditation and refresher initiatives in cooperation with relevant Directorates, ensuring that experts remain qualified, engaged, and ready for deployment. Through these activities, the Unit plays a central role in maintaining and strengthening the WCO’s expertise network, thereby enabling the effective delivery of capacity-building activities managed by the other Units within the Implementation and Capacity Development Directorate (ICDD).
Reporting to the Head of the Expert Mobilization & Curriculum Management Unit, the Experts Coordination Officer will be responsible for the management, development, and effective mobilization of the WCO’s pool of experts. The incumbent will support the implementation and continuous improvement of related WCO policies, procedures, and systems, including the Accredited Customs Experts (ACE) database, to ensure the availability of highly qualified experts across the Organization’s priority areas.
The role is key to maintaining a diverse, balanced, and responsive expert network by promoting linguistic, regional, and gender balance in the pool of experts. The Experts Coordination Officer will work closely with WCO Members, experts, and internal stakeholders to facilitate expert mobilization in support of WCO capacity-building activities and technical assistance programmes. The position also requires close collaboration with colleagues responsible for curriculum management and e-learning to ensure coherence across the Unit’s activities and contribute to the effective delivery of the WCO’s capacity development objectives.
Under the supervision of the Head of Unit, Expert Mobilization & Curriculum Management, the Experts Coordination Officer will focus on the following key activities:
The person appointed will also be required to perform such other duties as may be assigned and may be subject to reassignment within the WCO Secretariat.
This position is subject to the WCO Staff Manual (for permanent staff). If a candidate is related to current WCO staff members (spouse, father, mother, son, daughter, brother or sister), they are required to specifically indicate this in the application.
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