The 2026 edition had particular significance for the host country, as it marked the first time that the WCO Global Canine Forum was held in Uzbekistan.
Such broad participation confirmed the global relevance of the event and highlighted Uzbekistan’s growing capacity to bring together Customs administrations, international organisations and specialised experts within a high level platform for professional exchange and cooperation.
The successful organisation of the Forum also provided a clear demonstration of the considerable organisational and infrastructural capabilities developed by the Customs Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan and, more broadly, of the country’s increasing ability to host major international professional events and foster global networks.
Exchange of Experience at the 7th WCO Global Canine Forum
Throughout the Forum, participants discussed the contribution of trained canine teams to the activities of Customs and other border agencies, particularly in detecting drugs, weapons, illegal currency and other forms of illicit trade.
The programme combined professional discussions, exchange of experience and practical demonstrations, allowing participants to examine modern approaches to canine training, the development of canine infrastructure and the application of international standards to operational activities.
Beyond its technical content, the Forum demonstrated the importance of international networking in an increasingly interconnected Customs environment.
Bringing together such a broad range of administrations, international organisations and experts in Tashkent created valuable opportunities to strengthen professional relationships, exchange specialised knowledge and explore new areas of bilateral, regional and multilateral cooperation.
For ROCB Europe, this international dimension was particularly relevant. The ability of a Member administration to convene such a diverse professional community, while providing the infrastructure and organisational framework required for a major global event, represents an important contribution to international and regional Customs cooperation.
The participation of the WCO Secretary General further underlined the significance of the Forum as a global platform for operational cooperation, knowledge sharing and the continued development of Customs enforcement capabilities.
Visit to the Customs Institute of Uzbekistan
On 9 September, ROCB Europe devoted the morning to an official visit to the Customs Institute of the Customs Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
The visit provided an opportunity to gain first hand insight into the Institute’s infrastructure, academic capacities and the systems in place for the training, retraining and advanced professional development of Customs officers.
The Customs Institute is a specialised higher education and scientific and methodological institution that plays an important role in the development of professional Customs knowledge and skills in Uzbekistan.
Its educational approach takes international Customs standards into account and places particular emphasis on analytical thinking, the independent acquisition of knowledge and its practical application.
The visit highlighted the close connection between academic education, scientific research and operational Customs experience, as well as the Institute’s commitment to preparing Customs professionals to respond effectively to the increasingly complex challenges faced by modern Customs administrations.
Academic Excellence and Professional Development
The Institute’s academic structure reflects a multidisciplinary approach strongly connected with research and professional practice.
Its areas of activity include Customs control, Customs regulation and duties, Customs expertise and classification, law, economics, information technology and mathematics, supported by dedicated capacities for scientific research, methodological development and advanced professional training.
The Bachelor programme in Customs Affairs received a WCO Certificate of Recognition in 2021, representing an important acknowledgement of the programme’s alignment with international Customs education standards.
During the visit, ROCB Europe also had the opportunity to observe the Institute’s approach to professional development and the contribution made by its academic staff to strengthening Customs knowledge and expertise.
The discussions provided a clear picture of an institution combining academic rigour, scientific research and the practical requirements of modern Customs work, while also developing expertise with relevance beyond the national context.
Visit to the WCO Regional Customs Laboratory
The programme in Tashkent also included a detailed visit to the Central Customs Laboratory of the Customs Committee of Uzbekistan, which holds the status of a WCO Regional Customs Laboratory.
This status was formally conferred in 2021 through cooperation between the World Customs Organization and Uzbekistan Customs. Uzbekistan currently hosts one of the three WCO Regional Customs Laboratories operating within the WCO Europe Region.
The visit was accompanied by a comprehensive and carefully illustrated presentation by the Laboratory’s specialists, enabling ROCB Europe to gain a detailed understanding of its functions, technical capacities and contribution to Customs administration.
The Laboratory combines scientific analysis with direct operational support to Customs. Its organisational structure includes dedicated capacities for Customs expertise and forensic expertise, together with specialised support for analytical equipment.
It also performs important functions related to the Foreign Economic Activity Commodity Nomenclature, including activities connected with the classification of goods and the consistent application of the Harmonized System.
These functions demonstrate the close connection between scientific analysis and some of the most technically demanding areas of Customs work, particularly the identification and classification of goods, tariff treatment and the accurate application of Customs legislation.
Modern Customs laboratories play an increasingly important role in supporting revenue collection, trade facilitation and enforcement. Scientific analysis can be essential for the correct identification of goods, particularly where products are technically complex, sensitive or potentially hazardous.
A Regional Centre of Technical Expertise
The regional status of the Laboratory gives the structure an additional significance beyond its national functions.
WCO Regional Customs Laboratories are intended to serve as centres of expertise capable of supporting Members through scientific knowledge, analytical methods, professional exchange and the dissemination of good practices.
The Laboratory in Tashkent therefore represents an important technical resource not only for Uzbekistan Customs but also for wider cooperation within the WCO Europe Region.
For ROCB Europe, the visit provided a particularly valuable opportunity to observe how scientific expertise, advanced technology, tariff classification and professional knowledge can be brought together within a specialised Customs structure.
It also demonstrated the potential value of making established national expertise available to a wider regional community through cooperation, professional exchanges and capacity building activities.
Uzbekistan as a Platform for Regional and Global Customs Cooperation
Taken together, the Forum and the visits to the Customs Institute and the WCO Regional Customs Laboratory provided a broader picture of the capacities developed by Uzbekistan Customs.
The successful hosting of the first WCO Global Canine Forum ever held in the country, with participation from more than 50 Customs administrations and over 15 international organisations, demonstrated not only strong organisational and infrastructural capacity but also Uzbekistan’s ability to act as a platform for professional dialogue, technical cooperation and international networking.
This capacity is reinforced by the presence of specialised institutions with significant academic, scientific and operational expertise.
The Customs Institute and the WCO Regional Customs Laboratory illustrate complementary dimensions of an administration investing in professional skills, scientific knowledge, modern infrastructure and international cooperation.
The Forum itself provided further evidence of Uzbekistan’s ability to connect Customs administrations and professional communities from different parts of the world, creating an environment conducive to the exchange of experience and the development of new networks of cooperation.
For ROCB Europe, such capabilities are particularly relevant because they create opportunities to connect expertise already available within individual Members with the needs of the wider WCO Europe Region.
Strengthening Regional Knowledge Sharing
The mission offered valuable insights into the contribution that specialised national institutions can make to regional capacity building.
Academic institutions, training centres and scientific facilities that combine technical expertise with practical Customs experience can serve as important sources of knowledge for the wider WCO Europe Region.
For ROCB Europe, identifying, connecting and promoting such centres of expertise is particularly relevant to the objective of encouraging stronger knowledge sharing, professional networks and cooperation among WCO Members.
The visits therefore represented not only an opportunity to better understand the significant capacities developed by Uzbekistan Customs, but also an occasion to consider how existing national expertise can contribute to broader regional initiatives and support other Members through the exchange of knowledge and experience.
ROCB Europe expresses its sincere appreciation to the Customs Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan, to the management and faculty of the Customs Institute and to the management and specialists of the WCO Regional Customs Laboratory for their warm welcome, openness and the high quality of the presentations and professional exchanges.
The participation in the 7th WCO Global Canine Forum, together with the visits to these specialised Customs institutions, confirmed the importance of investing in people, scientific knowledge, modern infrastructure and professional excellence.
It also demonstrated how a Member administration can contribute to the wider Customs community by creating opportunities for international dialogue, connecting professional networks and sharing expertise at regional and global level.
