Study Guide

Integrity in Customs has evolved over time, with the World Customs Organization (WCO) playing a central role in promoting it globally. The WCO's focus on integrity began in the late 1980s, when it recognized the need to combat corruption and strengthen ethical conduct within customs administrations. This led to the Arusha Declaration (1993), which set a global benchmark for addressing corruption in Customs. The Revised Arusha Declaration (2003) strengthened that commitment further, providing practical guidance for developing and implementing anti-corruption policies and integrity programs.

International instruments to fight corruption

Over the years, a range of conferences, declarations, and conventions have addressed administrative corruption. They have sought to define the problem and identify standards and practices necessary to combat it. Four declarations in particular — the Original WCO Revised Arusha Declaration (1993), the Columbus Declaration (1994), the Lima Declaration (1997), and the Brussels Declaration (2020) — set out a series of Customs‑related recommendations.

The WCO has developed important guidance to support Customs administrations in managing integrity risks. The WCO Revised Arusha Declaration remains the key reference document, supported by tools such as the WCO Integrity Development Guide and the WCO Anti‑Corruption and Integrity Promotion (A‑CIP) Program.

The G20 High‑Level Principles on Countering Corruption in Customs (2017) also reinforce the elements of the Revised Arusha Declaration and reflect global consensus on the importance of integrity in border management.

Other international bodies, including the OECD, OAS, EU, UN, World Bank, and Transparency International, have also contributed significantly to global anti‑corruption standards and best practices.

The revised Arusha Declaration

Revised in 2003, the Declaration identifies ten key elements essential for strengthening integrity in Customs:

1.       Leadership and Commitment

2.       Regulatory Framework

3.       Transparency

4.       Automation

5.       Reform and Modernization

6.       Audit and Investigation

7.       Code of Conduct

8.       Human Resource Management

9.       Morale and Organizational Culture

10.   Relationship with the Private Sector.

These elements are designed to reduce monopoly power, limit inappropriate use of official discretion, and increase practical accountability. They underpin the three principal components of an integrity management program:

01 Eliminate opportunity Remove the changes to act corruptly

02 Eliminate motivation Remove the reason to act corruptly

03 Implement effective controls Detect and deter misconduct

The WCO designed the Declaration to be non‑prescriptive, providing a conceptual framework that allows each administration to implement the elements in a manner suited to its unique social, political, and economic context.