On 19 September 2024, a one-day training course on both the MEDICRIME Convention and on the offences relating to cultural property (the Nicosia Convention) was delivered at the Council of Europe headquarters in Strasbourg to 150 customs officers, all members from the International Association of French-Speaking Customs Officials (AIDF), which has observer status at the MEDICRIME Committee.

This training enabled the strengthening and development of the technical knowledge of these customs officers in the fight, on the one hand, against the falsification of medical products and, on the other hand, against the destruction, damage and trafficking of cultural property. Participants were informed about the work of the MEDICRIME Convention and its monitoring mechanism

Moreover, during a panel discussion, there was an exchange of views on the different seizures found in their respective countries related to counterfeiting of medical products.

Originally from 10 African countries (Benin, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Comoros, Congo Brazzaville, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Mali, and Democratic Republic of Congo), these customs officers exchanged on their practical experience in the above-mentioned criminal-law fields. In addition, these customs officers are intended to work in the areas of competence relating to the control of medicines, international trade operations, and the administration of services.

In the customs context, capacity building is generally understood as the development or acquisition of the skills, tools, processes and resources necessary to improve the capacity of the administration to carry out its assigned functions and achieve its objectives.