From 4 to 6 June 2024, the WCO Anti-Corruption and Integrity Promotion (A-CIP) Programme, in partnership with the Mauritius Revenue Authority (MRA) and Japan Customs, organized a capacity-building workshop for Mali Customs on the subject of internal affairs management.

The workshop focused on internal affairs management as part of a sustainable integrity approach within Mali Customs. With input from the team of experts and under the supervision of the WCs A-CPI Programme, the discussions focused mainly on strengthening reporting mechanisms, consolidating the administrative investigation process, and optimizing the disciplinary system.

Workshop participants identified areas for improvement in each of the components of internal affairs management as outlined in the Revised Arusha Declaration, as well as some other key factors such as morale and organisational culture, regulatory framework, code of conduct and human resources management. The numerous contributions made it possible to carry out a comparative analysis between the Malian Customs context and model for conducting internal investigations and those of Mauritius and Japan.

Participants mentioned the importance of a sustainable commitment to the development of prevention in the area of internal affairs and to addressing the challenges of the fight against corruption in Mali and in the region, thanks in particular to the support of the WCO Regional Office for Capacity Building for West and Central Africa (WCA).

At the workshop's closing ceremony, the head of the Mali Customs Audit and Internal Control Office praised the importance of this workshop, whose priority was concrete implementation, as well as the ongoing support of the WCO A-CPI Programme.

The WCO A-CIP Programme provides technical assistance and capacity-building support to WCO Member administrations implementing integrity-related initiatives in line with the WCO Revised Arusha Declaration. For more information, please contact capacity.building@wcoomd.org.