ROCB Europe Strengthens Regional Efforts to Combat Drug Trafficking

Following its recent participation in the International Forum in Samarkand, the Regional Office for Capacity Building for the World Customs Organization (WCO) Europe Region (ROCB Europe) has reaffirmed its strong and sustained commitment to combating drug trafficking and related cross-border threats. Over the past two years, ROCB Europe has maintained an active operational focus in this area, combining strategic engagement in international discussions with the delivery of concrete capacity-building activities across the Region. These efforts have included regional seminars, sub-regional workshops, specialized trainings, and high-level side events, reflecting a comprehensive and coordinated approach to strengthening enforcement capacity. This work has translated into a series of impactful initiatives, including: Cooperation initiatives with CARICC in Almaty, Kazakhstan (2024) International seminar on smuggling and drug trafficking in the Kyrgyz Republic (2024) Regional workshop on risk analysis and search techniques in Tashkent, Uzbekistan (2025) High-level side events within the Commission on Narcotic Drugs in Vienna, Austria (2025–2026) Regional seminar on synthetic drugs, emerging technologies and financial flows hosted in Baku, Azerbaijan (2025) Through these activities, ROCB Europe has consistently addressed key operational priorities, including the application of risk-based controls, detection of synthetic drugs, the use of advanced technologies, and the strengthening of inter-agency and cross-border cooperation. At the international level, ROCB Europe has also actively contributed to global platforms and partnerships, ensuring that regional perspectives are effectively reflected in broader policy discussions. In doing so, it has further reinforced cooperation with key partners such as United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and CARICC. This dual approach—combining field-level implementation with active participation in international fora—ensures that capacity-building efforts remain both operationally relevant and strategically aligned. Importantly, this sustained engagement is fully consistent with the priorities identified by Members of the WCO Europe Region. The Vice-Chair Team survey conducted in January 2026 highlighted drug trafficking and related threats as a key regional priority, particularly from an enforcement perspective. In this context, ROCB Europe continues not only to respond to emerging challenges but also to proactively support its Members through practical tools, shared expertise, and coordinated initiatives. ROCB Europe remains committed to advancing this work in close cooperation with its Members, the Vice-Chair Office, and international partners, ensuring that capacity building efforts remain targeted, coordinated, and impact-oriented.