My Journey to Becoming a WCO Accredited Risk Management Expert

Achieving WCO accreditation was a dream I had since the day I first heard about it after joining Nepal Customs. In 2025, that dream finally came true.

From Classroom to Customs

My professional journey began in education. After completing Grade 12, I started teaching tuition classes and later joined a private school as a teacher. Those early years shaped my values of hard work, discipline, and dedication. Teaching also sparked my passion for facilitation, which would become a central part of my Customs career.

I joined the Civil Service in 2014. In 2017, I started working with Nepal Customs. It was during one of my first WCO-supported national workshops that I first heard the term “WCO Accredited Expert”. As the facilitator introduced himself, I felt an instant connection to that role. It blended my passion for training with technical expertise. I vividly remember going home that evening and searching online to learn everything I could about the accreditation process.

A Vision with Action

I got information that one of the main eligibility criteria was minimum five years of experience in Customs. I set my sights on that goal and took action.To stay aligned with global practices, I regularly consulted the WCO website and familiarized myself with its tools, instruments, and latest developments. Alongside my regular duties, I continued facilitating internal training and workshops, activily involved various Customs modernization activies.

During this period, I was also honored with several awards including Best Teacher and Best Employee, which reinforced my motivation to keep pushing forward.

The Road to Accreditation

In September 2022, I noticed that WCO had circulated letter for a Pre-Accreditation Workshop on Risk Management. I applied through my administration and was nominated by Nepal Customs. I was fortunate to be shortlisted among 12 candidates from the Asia-Pacific region. It was one of the happiest and proudest moments of my career.

In November 2022, I participated in the pre-accreditation workshop held in Thailand.

The workshop was intense and challenging. Each day involved new assignments, presentations, group exercises, and report writing. I was often sleeping only 3 to 4 hours due to the pressure to perform. But I stayed focused and succeeded in passing this stage of the accreditation process.

Accreditation Achieved

I continued building my skills and staying current with global Customs developments. Then in 2025, I received an invitation for the final mission for accreditation. I successfully conducted the mission and officially certified as a WCO Accredited Technical and Operational Advisor on Risk Management.

My Commitment Ahead

This accreditation is not the end. It is the beginning of a larger responsibility. As a WCO accredited expert, I am committed to:

• Facilitating national and international capacity building programs
• Supporting WCO members to enhance their risk management systems
• Promoting the use of data analytics in Customs for trade facilitation and risk management
• Contributing to global Customs modernization