Argentina’s Dog Training Centre accredited as a WCO Regional Dog Training Centre

21 January 2022

On 18 January 2022, the Federal Administration of Public Revenue of the Argentine Republic (AFIP), represented by the Director General of Customs, Mrs. Silvia Brunilda Traverso, and the World Customs Organization (WCO), represented by its Secretary General, Dr. Kunio Mikuriya, completed the signing process for a Memorandum of Understanding on establishing a WCO Regional Dog Training Centre (RDTC) in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The new RDTC in Buenos Aires is equipped with high-quality facilities, which include general kennels and kennels for dogs in recovery, spacious training areas and the latest animal health and veterinary care equipment. Its main objective is to develop and deliver specialized training at regional level, as well as serving as a resource centre for the development and delivery of training materials for the region’s Members.   

“As one of key partners of our Customs officers in their daily tasks, canine teams are widely used for a range of Customs duties,” stressed WCO Secretary General Mikuriya. “To maintain high-standards of canine enforcement and a global network to that end, the accreditation of RDTCs is aimed at sharing knowledge and professionalism and, more importantly, at building regional capacity and cooperation in canine enforcement. With that in mind, I have every confidence in the future success of the new RDTC in Buenos Aires,” he added.

Over the years, Customs has been facing an ever-changing business environment and heightened public expectations for even more efficient Customs operations. Among the non-intrusive operational tools available, canine units have gained prominence and become indispensable in the performance of Customs duties. The scope of canine enforcement is expanding from its traditional drug detection role to tackling security issues that Customs, as the first line of defence at borders, must address and overcome. Nowadays, canine teams play a key role not only in detecting explosives and drugs, but also in detecting other types of contraband such as currency and illegally traded goods protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

Through its current network of 18 accredited RDTCs across the Organization’s different regions, the WCO is committed to providing technical assistance and capacity building as well as to promoting expertise and sharing best practices among Member administrations to ensure optimum implementation of international standards in canine detection. The goal of these RDTCs is to provide professional canine-related training and capacity-building activities for Customs administrations in each of the WCO regions and to facilitate cooperation between them.

The WCO Secretariat would like to congratulate the AFIP on this accreditation, and wishes the RDTC in Buenos Aires every success.