WCO accredits new rules of origin trainers to ensure sustainable and autonomous training capacity in Customs administrations

• Strengthening understanding of rules of origin and practices is key to successful implementation of Free Trade Agreements and to build trust between Customs and trade operators.
• 10 Customs officers completed the development cycle, marking the first time some Customs administrations' officials have been accredited by the WCO.
• Newly accredited WCO experts on rules of origin will be able to train their peers in Portuguese and Arabic speaking countries.

Building sustainable and autonomous training capacity in Customs administrations is one of the WCO objectives. Since 2022, with funding from the European Union, the WCO has been working with African Customs administrations to equip Customs officials and relevant stakeholders with the knowledge and skills required to efficiently implement rules of origin provisions set in preferential trade agreements. One key activity of the EU-WCO Rules of Origin Africa Programme is to develop a pool of experts capable of training their peers and key stakeholders to support WCO training activities.

Ten Portuguese and Arabic speaking Customs officers completed the Rules of Origin Competency Development Cycle in February 2026, bringing the number of trainers on rules of origin that have been accredited under the Programme to 19. It is the first time that Portuguese speaking experts on rules of origin have been accredited and, for some Customs administrations, the first time one of their officers has been accredited by the WCO.

The 10 officers who successfully completed the cycle represented the Customs administrations of Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania, Morocco, Mozambique, Sao Tome & Principe, Tunisia.

The Accreditation Journey

Developed under the EU-WCO RoO Africa Programme, the Rules of Origin Competency Development Cycle combines online learning with in-person instruction to create a flexible, engaging, and effective learning experience. To be accredited, the officers have to complete intermediate and advanced training, participate in a train the trainers workshop as well as a pre-accreditation workshop, and, finally, take part in a WCO workshop as a trainer. The Competency Development Cycle started in 2024 for both the Arabic and Portuguese speaking groups and culminated with the final step of their accreditation process at the end of 2025.

The newly accredited experts attended the Technical Committee on Rules of Origin (TCRO) and the Global Forum on Origin Self-Certification held in Brussels in February 2026 with the aim to ensure continued competency development in the subject and enable them to interact with a wider network of origin experts.

These experts will be invited to serve as facilitators in the upcoming training sessions organized by the Programme on a continental, regional and national level. Some experts were already experienced trainers when embarking on the accreditation journey with the Programme, while others had not yet had the opportunity to conduct training. Common for all is that they will be a major asset for their respective administrations in support of national training activities, both for their peers and for other public and private stakeholders.

EU-WCO RoO Africa Programme : Supporting Customs administrations

To date, 213 activities have already been carried out under the EU-WCO RoO Africa Programme, each of them tailor-made to respond to the needs of the Programme's beneficiaries. Activities include conducting training as well as diagnostic and needs assessments, organizing forums and consultations, and developing guidelines, manuals and Standard Operating Procedures.

In 2026, the Programme will continue to respond to requests from Customs administrations, Regional Economic Communities and the private sector in Africa to further develop their origin competencies. It will also continue providing technical assistance on the effective implementation and application of rules of origin, including the self-certification provisions found in intra-African free trade agreements as well as Economic Partnership Agreements between African countries and the European Union.