In the first weeks of 2026, the WCO organized two significant events: the WCO Technology Conference and Exhibition, which enabled participants to gain a better grasp of technology developments and how they contribute to enhancing Customs operations, and the Global Forum on origin self-certification, which focused on identifying ways to effectively implement self-certification and make such processes usable and attractive for trade operators.

These events addressed very different topics, but they had one thing in common: they both looked at operational realities. They provided experts and practitioners with a platform to go beyond concepts or ideas, and provide insights into their tangible implementation, while articulating complex issues and often challenging established assumptions.

The WCO is not only a standard setting organization. Its role is also to help Customs administrations match responsibility with capacity, to promote their effective and consistent implementation of regulations, and to adopt solutions and processes that deliver tangible results. The exchange of knowledge stands as a central pillar of the organization. While the foundation for what we do, it is never the end point. It becomes the material for building foresight, choice, and leadership.

Customs administrations must use this knowledge strategically to develop policies and processes that are grounded in reality. The challenge is how do we keep producing quality and actionable knowledge that bridges understanding and doing, so that it truly informs decision-making and even reform?

One way to drive the conversation is through and around data. To support our Members, the WCO has developed tools that aim at collecting data and information to assess operational practices and drive the conversation among stakeholders by establishing a baseline for dialogue.

One of the most widely recognized and applied tools developed by the WCO is this area is the Time Release Study (TRS) Guide. Updated through the years thanks to feedback from Customs and their private and public stakeholders, the TRS Guide provides a globally accepted methodology to regularly collect and analyze data on the performance of border clearance processes with the inclusive participation of all relevant stakeholders in every phase of the Study. TRS questionnaires are designed with both closed and open-ended questions to capture quantitative and qualitative data. A TRS is not just a technical exercise; it’s also a platform for collaboration and dialogue and continuing improvement of operations.

Customs is required to have a high level of integrity in performing its duties. One tool to assist Customs in measuring how it is performing in this space is the Customs Integrity Perception Survey (CIPS). The CIPS makes it possible to check how a Customs administration is perceived by its own staff and by individuals who engage with them in the areas of promoting integrity and combating corruption. It also enables administrations to collect experience and information on existing behaviours, to understand how individuals make their choices and what might drive them. The CIPS measures only what a Customs administration can improve, or what a Customs administration has the authority to decide or act on, and Members that have taken the survey have already seen the value of using the results to generate more meaningful communications and strengthen dialogue with key stakeholders on integrity.

The drive to use such tools is the capacity of an organisation for self-reflection and a willingness to objectively assess its own performance, so I will also mention another tool: the WCO Performance Measurement Mechanism (PMM), which aims at strengthening a measurement culture among the WCO Membership. The PMM establishes a set of 55  key performance indicators (KPIs) related to 26 expected outcomes. It is a diagnostic and learning tool, providing an opportunity to understand what changes because of what we do and how we transform. Variances and gaps should be explored and results embedded into national planning, reform design and stakeholder dialogue. Here again, results should fuel structured consultation with trade operators, other governmental agencies, donors and the WCO.

WCO Members are not only invited to include these KPIs in their national performance measurement system, but also to share results via the WCO PMM online platform. The second cycle of data collection under the PMM started in late 2025, with WCO Members being invited to submit data for that calendar year. Participation by a large number of administrations in this cycle is crucial to ensure that the PMM brings the expected benefits to the Customs community, such as establishing regional or global benchmarks and identifying areas where capacity building is needed. Those administrations that participated in the first cycle of the PMM will be able, after the second, to evaluate the progress they have made and the impact of any assistance they may have received.

There are, of course, challenges related to the collection of data and the effective use of WCO tools. Collecting data can be burdensome when data ecosystems are fragmented. Bringing together a variety of actors at the national or regional level through events may not be an easy task for all Customs administrations. Feedback fatigue and resource constraints may make reporting burden overwhelming. Finally, while it is one thing is to create an opportunity for stakeholders to provide input, it’s quite another to get stakeholders to actually engage in processes like, especially when resources are scarce and more immediate priorities might demand attention be directed elsewhere. The truth remains, however, that collecting data is key to the long-term success that Customs administrations seek, and that the WCO works to support.

It is for this reason that the WCO stays committed to promoting the use of data to drive Customs modernization, highlighting the many benefits for the Organization itself and for its Members, as it supports them in building an environment where trade operators and Customs trust the processes and systems in place as they take part in their continuous improvement.