INTRODUCTION

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.

PROGRAMME BACKGROUND

The Anti-Corruption and Integrity Promotion (A-CIP) Programme is the WCO’s main resource for supporting WCO Members’ objectives with regards to integrity. The Programme was established in 2019 and is concluding its first phase. A new phase will begin in January 2026, with funding from the Government of Norway.

The second phase of the WCO A-CIP Programme has been designed to build on the strong foundations established to date, while introducing new and forward-looking approaches that embed integrity more systemically into the work of the WCO and its Members.

This new phase maintains a focused scope that leverages the WCO’s unique position to drive reform in Customs administrations and operations. It also aligns with the WCO’s new strategic direction which underscores the cross-cutting nature of Integrity in fulfilling Customs’ core mandate to facilitate trade, collect revenue and protect society.

The Programme will place renewed emphasis on coordination and collective action, further strengthening partnerships and creating expanded opportunities for Customs to collaborate with a broader range of stakeholders. The foundations established during the first phase, together with integrity’s enhanced prominence within the WCO’s strategic framework, will enhance advocacy for Customs’ engagement in whole-of-government approaches to combatting corruption.

The new phase will also expand the use the new tools developed during the first phase – including the Customs Integrity Perception Survey (CIPS), Performance Measurement Mechanism (PMM), and Integrity Development Guide (IDG) – to strengthen evidence-based approaches to integrity measurement. These tools will be further linked with other data sources to generate deeper, more actionable insights into integrity performance across Customs administrations.

The second phase of the Programme will be implemented through the following components:

Developing and maintaining Customs standards and policy, which will include support to cooperation on matters of integrity, including research and advocacy as well as development of WCO tools related to integrity; and
Implementation and capacity development, which will include a new A-CIP “Help Hub” as well as select country and sub-regional A-CIP projects.

A full time Programme Management Team consisting of a Programme Manager, Deputy Programme Manager and Programme Officer is already established at the WCO Secretariat in Brussels, Belgium, along with three other Programme Experts.

MAIN OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME

The main objective of the A-CIP Programme will be to improve governance and integrity in Customs, aiming towards a positive impact on the business and law enforcement environment for cross-border trade.

The Programme will achieve this through delivery of results in three areas:

Enhanced resources and capacity in Customs to collect, analyse, and use data in combatting corruption and promoting integrity.
Enhanced resources and capacity in Customs to engage in collective action, multi-stakeholder initiatives, and public-private partnerships to combat corruption and promote integrity.
Increased integration of anti-corruption and integrity-promotion measures into Customs administrations’ revenue collection, trade facilitation, and enforcement policies and procedures.

MAIN ACCOUNTABILITIES

Under the supervision of the Programme Manager, the position holder will focus on the following key activities:

Programme Implementation
- Work with the A-CIP Programme Manager and Deputy Programme Manager to plan the Programme activities in detail, including schedule and necessary inputs to achieve Programme goals;
- Draft terms of reference for the Programme’s technical activities, liaising closely with other experts and beneficiaries to define the technical inputs necessary;
- Together with other experts as applicable, support the development and maintenance of tools related to integrity, in line with Programme objectives;
- Together with other experts as applicable, deliver technical assistance and capacity building to beneficiary countries in line with Programme objectives.
Communications
- Support the Programme Manager and Deputy Programme Manager with the provision of content for necessary reports as well as for internal and external communications;
- Establish and maintain a network of contacts in beneficiary institutions and within the integrity-related specialist community to support implementation activities;
- Maintain close contact with Secretariat staff and others responsible for WCO integrity instruments and tools to track updates and provide feedback from implementing administrations.
Support to Experts
- Assist with the identification and mobilization of Short-Term Experts (seconded from WCO Member administrations) to deliver technical assistance and capacity building actions under the Programme;
- Help ensure that Short-Term Experts are well briefed in the technical aims of their actions and that they are provided with access to the relevant WCO tools and instruments and are utilizing them appropriately;
- Debrief experts after each intervention and ensure the quality of their reports.
Any other Programme-related duties as may be assigned by the supervisor

EDUCATION

A university degree; or an equivalent combination of education, skills and experience.
Accreditation and/or recognition as a WCO technical and operational advisor is desirable.

EXPERIENCE AND ESSENTIAL QUALIFICATIONS

At least 7 years’ experience providing technical assistance or capacity building in the area of internal control for public sector institutions with a strong preference given to those who have worked with or served in Customs administrations;
Demonstrated experience in managing activities related to at least 3 of the 10 key factors targeted in the WCO Revised Arusha Declaration concerning Good Governance and Integrity in Customs;
Experience in promoting transparency and predictability in public institutions;
Experience in participating in international or regional working bodies on topics relevant to the WCO Revised Arusha Declaration;
International exposure in the field of capacity building and technical assistance, ideally in low- and middle-income countries.

DEMONSTRABLE COMPETENCIES

Strong interpersonal skills, writing and communication skills and team-orientation;
Demonstrated ability to provide strategic and technical advice to governments, public institutions and stakeholders;
Good reporting and planning skills;
High level of integrity;
Knowledge of WCO integrity-related instruments and tools;
Good understanding of the principles of sustainable development and capacity building.

LANGUAGES

Fluency in English
Knowledge of French would be considered an asset.

CONTRACT AND CONDITIONS

Staff member under short-term contract of two (2) years with the possibility of renewal of at least one (1) additional year based on budget availability and performance;
Probationary period: six (6) months;
Full-time employment (thirty-seven (37) hours and forty (40) minutes weekly) at WCO Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium;
Thirty (30) days of annual paid leave;
Salary of 6,767 EUR/month all-inclusive (remuneration exempted from income tax in Belgium);
Compulsory WCO health insurance deducted from the salary (estimated cost for 2026 is approximately 72 EUR/month).

This position is subject to the Manual for Short-Term Contractors. The successful applicant shall not acquire the right subsequently to occupy a permanent position within the WCO. The successful applicant will not be affiliated to any WCO retirement fund or pension scheme. 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.

APPLICATION AND RECRUITMENT PROCESS

Interested candidates should submit their application for review no later than 10 January 2026, including a CV and motivation letter in English. This application should be sent by email to: [email protected]

The subject line of the email sent by each candidate should clearly indicate the name of the candidate and the job vacancy for which they are applying.

The onus is on the applicant to demonstrate how they meet each of the essential qualifications and requirements. Applicants are encouraged to describe tangible achievements in their CV and motivation letter, as well as to include contact details for referees.

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted for an assessment, which may include a written test and/or an interview. All short-listed candidates may be requested to provide copies of their original diploma, certificates and proof of relevant experience. Pre-selected candidates may also be subject to reference checks to confirm the information provided in their application.

The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application, according to the criteria for the position and the applicable WCO rules.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The WCO is committed to the principles of integrity, transparency and accountability, as well as to promoting diversity among its staff members. Accordingly, applications from qualified candidates, irrespective of gender, will receive equal treatment and due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting nationals from WCO Members on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The age limit for employment at the WCO is 65. Please note that the WCO Headquarters building is a non-smoking environment.

Any personal data collected and processed as part of the recruitment procedure will be in accordance with the WCO’s Personal Data Protection Policy (available on the WCO website: https://www.wcoomd.org/en/about-us/legal-instruments/policies.aspx). Any questions or complaints in this regard may be addressed to the WCO’s Data Protection Officer ([email protected]).

World Customs Organization is hiring a Integrity Expert