Oceania Customs Organisation

30/05/2026

Heads of Customs Arrive for OCO Conference

The countdown is on.
Delegates are touching down in Fiji ahead of the 28th Annual OCO Conference, opening June 2 at the Intercontinental Fiji Golf Resort & Spa.
Among the latest to arrive are Mr Randy Sue of the Federated States of Micronesia, Mr Jose Mafnas Jr of the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islnds, and Mr Vincent Perez of Guam.
This year’s theme, “Scaling Up the Commitment of Customs to Protect and Grow our Pasifika Communities” sets the stage for a packed programme of strategic discussions, leadership sessions, and a Fireside Chat where the region’s Customs chiefs will reflect on shared lessons and map the road ahead for Pacific Customs
OCO, Fiji Revenue and Customs Service and Fiji warmly welcome all arriving delegates.
Ni bula maleka!

29/05/2026

The Oceania Customs Organisation (OCO) is pleased to announce the appointment of
Mrs Laisiana Tugaga as its Head of Secretariat. Mrs Tugaga will formally assume office on Monday,1 June 2026, bringing with her a distinguished career spanning more than fifteen years in trade and Customs at national and regional levels across the Pacific. Mrs Tugaga is the second woman to hold the position in the OCO’s 27 year history. She replaces Ms Nancy T Oraka.

Read more: https://www.ocosec.org/oceania-customs-organisation-appoints-new-head-of-secretariat/

29/05/2026

We are stronger together! We thank you, our partners in border security, trade facilitation and economic prosperity.

29/05/2026

Mauri, Mr Vice Chair! We welcome Kiribati Comptroller of Customs, Mr. Tekaie Ititaake arriving for the 28th Annual Conference on June 2 at the Intercontinental Resort Golf & Soa in June 2.

Fiji, OCO and FRCS Extend a Warm Pacific Welcome to Delegates of the 28th Annual OCO Conference

Customs leaders and representatives of development partners from across the Pacific are making their way to Fiji for the 28th Annual Oceania Customs Organisation (OCO) Conference starting on June 2 at the Intercontinental Fiji Golf Resort & Spa. OCO and the Fiji Revenue and Customs Service (FRCS), proudly extends a warm Pacific welcome to Mr. Tekaie Ititaake, Comptroller of Customs for the Kiribati Customs Service, on his arrival to Fiji for the Annual OCO Conference.

Mr. Ititaake attends in his capacity as the current Vice Chair of the OCO and incoming Chair, marking an important leadership transition for the organisation. Fiji, as host nation, alongside OCO and FRCS, is honoured to welcome Mr. Ititaake and fellow customs leaders to this significant regional forum, where members will deliberate on key priorities including strengthening border security, enhancing trade facilitation, and advancing modernisation across customs administrations.

15/05/2026

As we countdown to our annual Heads of Customs Conference starting on June 1, OCO chairperson and chief executive officer of the Fiji Revenue and Customs Service Mr Udit Singh shares his thoughts on the challenges facing Pacific Clustoms administrations today and why shared Pacific solutions are critical . Themed, “Scaling Up the Commitment of Customs to Protect and Grow Our Pasifika Communities”, the conference will bring together our 24 members and development partners in Nadi, Fiji. The threats at our borders are evolving quickly, and Customs administrations must be adaptive and agile in responding to these threats. Customs is not only protecting borders, it is protecting Pacific communities, economies, and futures.

28/04/2026

Our Customs officers are building their skills to fight back against counterfeit goods.
OCO has partnered with the US Patent and Trademark Office () to deliver a six-week online training series on Intellectual Property Rights enforcement, running every Wednesday from April 15 until 20 May.
The programme equips frontline border officers across OCO’s 24 member administrations with sharper detection skills, improved profiling techniques, and expert insights from rightsholders and regional case studies.
Because in today’s world, counterfeiting isn’t just a trade problem — it’s organised crime.

🔗 https://www.ocosec.org/pacific-customs-officers-trained-to-target-counterfeit-goods/

27/04/2026

We have Customs officers from across the Pacific in Nadi this week for a four-day training on risk assessment, passenger profiling and targeting with the aim of improving airport border control.
From today till Thursday, Customs officers from French Polynesia, American Samoa, , Cook Islands, Guam, Kiribati, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Tuvalu and Tokelau will go through hands-on, practical learning designed to sharpen frontline skills. Led by facilitators from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Fiji Revenue and Customs Service (FRCS), and Australian Border Force (ABF), the programme covers:
✅ Intelligence-led risk assessment
✅ Passenger profiling using behavioural and document-based indicators
✅ Travel document verification
✅ Practical simulations, role play, and real-world case studies
✅ API and Passenger Name Record (PNR) capabilities

The training is part of OCO's broader commitment to strengthening coordinated border management across the Pacific and supports international frameworks including the WCO SAFE Framework, UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and the Boe Declaration on regional security.

27/04/2026

Last week, the Oceania Customs Organisation (OCO) successfully completed its first national-level training deployment in the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI).
Delivered by a World Customs Organization (WCO)-accredited Master Trainer, the five-day programme focused on strengthening the practical application of the Harmonised System (HS) which is a critical foundation for accurate tariff classification, revenue collection and trade compliance.
The training was tailored to the national context, particularly supporting RMI Customs as it prepares to restructure HS under its new Customs legislation. In addition to technical training, selected officers were mentored as national focal points to support ongoing knowledge transfer and long-term capacity development.
This marks the first deployment under OCO’s national capacity-building approach, with Nauru, Niue and the Cook Islands identified as the next beneficiary countries. The next training will be in Niue from May 11-15.
Read more in comment section.

24/04/2026

It's impossible to inspect every shipment that crosses a Pacific border. But that doesn't mean Customs officers are powerless — it means they need to be smarter about which shipments they target, and why.
That's exactly what's happening in Nadi, Fiji this week.
The OCO and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have launched a Risk Management Training and Mentoring Programme that is helping Pacific Customs administrations make a fundamental shift — from inspecting everything by hand, to using data and intelligence to focus on the shipments that matter most.
Over four days of intensive training (20–23 April), Customs officers from intelligence, investigation, and audit teams across OCO's membership are learning how to:

✅ Build risk profiles for high-priority importers
✅ Identify high-risk commodities and shipping routes
✅ Apply WCO Risk Management Compendium standards
✅ Let low-risk, compliant traders clear the border faster
The Federated States of Micronesia , Nauru, and Tuvalu — three small island nations, scaling their operational capacity — will continue with a dedicated six-week online mentoring programme running through to 29 May. Working alongside IMF experts and WCO-trained mentors, they'll develop risk matrix and build new from the ground up.
Read more in comment section.

08/04/2026

Supply chains are only as strong as the people who protect them. Transnational organised crime and compromised trusted insiders are real threats to all of us. Last month we worked alongside Australian Border Force World Customs Organization - Organisation Mondiale des Douanes Fiji Revenue and Customs as they hosted a Supply Chain Integrity workshop to help our members fight against organised crime and insider threats.
Vinaka vakalevu, meitaki ma’ata, merci beaucoup to the Australian Border Force for partnering with us to include the participation of Customs officers from Cook Islands, New Caledonia, French Polynesia and Guam. We are stronger together.