Customs Training Agreements

A customs officer must, within minutes, tell an authentic piece from a copy, spot a forged document and know whom to alert. These skills cannot be improvised, hence the importance of regular training.

The agreements make it possible to pool resources: one State has the expertise, the other hosts the trainees.

The programmes cover the recognition of the main categories of property, import-export licences, signs of forgery, reading an OIMAP passport and seizure rules. Case studies drawn from real operations make the training concrete.

Materials are available in French, English and Spanish.

Sessions take place on site, online or in a blended format. Two-week placements are organized in museums and specialized services, and remote modules help maintain knowledge.

Regional offices handle logistical coordination and the adaptation of content to local realities.

Trainers are national experts accredited by the Organization, drawn from customs, museums, the police or universities. They themselves undergo teaching preparation.

A trainer may be made available to another State under the agreement.

Each session is followed by an evaluation of learning outcomes and a satisfaction questionnaire. A six-month follow-up measures the practical use of the skills: number of inspections, reports and seizures.

The results are presented to the agreement's monitoring committee and to the plenary of focal points.