The importance of gender equality and diversity in Customs was the focus of the third global conference online meeting held last Wednesday (13.09.2023) by the World Customs Organization (WCO).
The meeting brought together 150 participants to exchange views and practices on how to advance this agenda and improve the overall performance of Customs administrations, the WCO said in a statement.
In recent years, many members have stepped up their efforts to promote this human rights issue; for this reason, the WCO created the Network for Gender Equality and Diversity in Customs in 2022.
The start of the global meeting was certainly full of expectations, as the speakers shared their best practices.. In the beginning, the WCO Secretary General, Dr. Kunio Mikuriya, highlighted several regional initiatives aimed at promoting the role of women in Customs. In this regard, she highlighted the importance of the WCO Gender Equality and Diversity Organizational Assessment Tool to help identify gaps and invited members to use it.
The Conference also witnessed specific representatives from the public and private sectors. On the one hand, Velma Ricketts Walker, Commissioner of Customs of the Jamaica Customs Authority, She highlighted some of the decisions implemented by her country to promote equality and diversity. Among them, she mentioned a policy to prevent sexual harassment and gender-based violence, as well as initiatives aimed at raising staff awareness on the issue, for example through trained focal points.
On the other hand, Carol West, Secretary of the International Federation of Customs Brokers Associations, President and CEO of the Canadian Society of Customs Brokers, Member and former Chair of the Private Sector Advisory Group, discussed the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on gender equality, including women's participation in the labour market, the gender pay gap and issues related to work-life balance. She stressed the importance of recalling such lessons learned, as well as the need for harmonized procedures and tools to facilitate communication and collaboration between the public and private sectors.
Also invited to the meeting were: seven speakers high-level experts from Botswana, Canada, Ivory Coast, Iceland, Indonesia, New Zealand and South Africa.
The organisers recalled that the Network for Gender Equality and Diversity in Customs meets annually. However, the WCO – in line with its strategic objective of leadership, guidance and support to administrations – works continuously with its members and encourages them to participate in the global meetings. To drive the agenda forward, the WCO suggests that administrations consider the approach to gender equality and inclusion in both their internal policies (including human resources management, leadership and professional development) and their external policies (border operations and collaboration with stakeholders).
In closing, you can read and deepen the points of the meeting here .
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