The first edition of the WCO World Conference on Communication Strategies on the theme «Transparent communication in the digital age» was completed in Brussels (Belgium) on 9 October 2019. This conference ended in beauty after two days of stimulating presentations during eight animated sessions. 48 experts in communication from customs administrations, international organizations and the private sector followed by active discussions.

Organized at WCO headquarters, this conference brought together some 200 participants from over 50 countries, more than 50% of whom came from customs. The conference provided a platform for informed dialogue between customs administrations and its stakeholders on topics related to customs communication strategies in today's hyper-connected world.

In his opening remarks, the Deputy Secretary General of WCO, Ricardo Treviño Chapa, welcomed the participants and stressed the relevance of a coordinated communication strategy, with the WCO playing a leading role in providing guidance on effective strategies to raise the profile of customs. Under-Secretary-General Treviño stressed the role of communication in achieving the strategic priorities identified in the MDG Strategic Plan 2019-2022, adding that collaboration with stakeholders was at the heart of this approach to communication. In conclusion, he stressed that participation in this conference reflected the great importance attached to communication by customs administrations.

A high-level panel exchanged ideas on the challenges and new communication landscape. Speakers stressed that there was virtually no communication boundary between connected objects and human beings. The representatives of the WCO, the Directorate-General for Taxation and Customs Union (DG TAXUD) of the European Commission, the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (OSD) discussed best approaches to reach target audiences UNCTAD. The importance of internal communication was also stressed, as was the strengthening of collaboration among stakeholders.

Members of the six WCO regions presented their best practices on the tools, strategies and communication channels they use to reach their respective audiences. The conference heard experiences on how to overcome the various communication problems presented by Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Botswana, the Dominican Republic, Peru, the United Arab Emirates (Dubai), the United States and Vietnam.

Experiences were then shared on the importance of internal communication and its links to external communication, transparency, performance and motivation. Speakers at this session discussed the three key elements of communication: information, consultation and engagement, and encouraged further consultation between management and employees, with regular meetings and informal activities to create emotional engagement. The conclusion was that messages would reach their target audiences more effectively if stories were used to connect with people and relate to their emotional experiences.

After learning the best storytelling techniques, including understanding behavioral knowledge, diversity and gender, using intelligent visual means and adapting strategies to local culture, such as theatre and theatre tours in Zambia, participants learned more about power. Social media. Stakeholders dissected this communication channel to understand how to effectively reach target audiences in a sea of information. Participants listened to expert advice on communication, namely: involving the public through open outsourcing, using emotions or, in the case of customs, sniffing dogs, producing entertaining videos or developing strategies to detect false news, among other strategies.

Participants also had the opportunity to learn new technologies that redefined communication approaches, i.e. artificial intelligence (AI) and data exploration. Experts from Microsoft, Accenture and Meltwater explained how data mining can help customs segment their target populations and better understand what their audiences are looking for. With regard to artificial intelligence, speakers explained how automatic processing of natural language, machine learning and in-depth learning provide a man-machine interaction tool that actually mimics a real conversation, making it difficult to distinguish. These explanations were supported by the Indonesian customs authorities, who presented a concrete example of how they implemented the AI, through Chat-bots, to provide an updated and available customer service 24/7.

In his concluding remarks, the head of the WCO administration, Mr Hans Pieters, congratulated WCO members on their participation in this conference and congratulated the speakers for their interesting ideas on how to improve the customs profile. He informed participants of the WCO communication plan and brand guide and announced that the data collected during the Conference would be used in the next Customs Communication Strategy Manual. He added that the WCO would also create a network of communication professionals in customs administrations, which could be expanded to include customs stakeholders.

Release of the World Customs Organization Site