Building Stronger Customs: WCO Project BOLT Supports Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

• Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, the newest Member of the WCO, strengthen their capacities in Customs enforcement.
• WCO Project Bolt delivered targeted Customs and border security training to enhance the operational skills of Customs officers.
• Regional collaboration boosts efforts against illicit trafficking supporting the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap.

On 17 September 2025, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines became the 187^th World Customs Organization's (WCO) Member by depositing the accession instrument and signing the Convention establishing the Customs Cooperation Council (now known as the WCO). Since then, Saint Vincent and Grenadines have engaged in several regional Customs cooperation initiatives, representing an important step in integrating Saint Vincent and the Grenadines into broader regional Customs enforcement and capacity building networks.

Through Project BOLT, and with the support of international partners, over the past few months the WCO successfully delivered a series of capacity building activities in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines aimed at strengthening border security, Customs enforcement, and regional cooperation in combating illicit trafficking.

For the WCO's newest Member, these activities represented a meaningful milestone, reflecting Saint Vincent and the Grenadine's commitment to enhancing Customs capabilities and supporting regional security priorities under the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap.

Targeted capacity building in border enforcement

The capacity building support included specialized training on Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW), enhanced vehicle search techniques, and strategic risk management for Customs operations. The workshops strengthened Customs officers' operational skills, improved intelligence-led targeting, and supported the development of more coordinated approaches to border enforcement.

The SALW training focused on identifying and interdicting illicit firearms, firearms components, ammunition, and emerging trafficking methods affecting the Caribbean region. Participants explored regional trafficking trends and the importance of intelligence sharing, intelligence-led enforcement, and inter-agency cooperation in addressing transnational organized crime.

On the practical side, Customs officers participated in enhanced vehicle search training to improve detection capabilities for concealed firearms, narcotics, and other prohibited goods. The hands-on exercises covered systematic search methodologies, officer safety, and operational best practices suited for the Caribbean context.

In addition, a Strategic Risk Management workshop was conducted to support the Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Customs and Excise Department in developing a more structured and intelligence-driven approach to Customs controls. The workshop highlighted the importance of risk profiling, targeting methodologies, data analysis, and regional information exchange to facilitate legitimate trade while improving enforcement effectiveness.

Regional collaboration reinforces Customs role in protecting society

All activities were delivered by regional trainers and technical experts from Jamaica, Saint Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago, including WCO-accredited trainers developed through Project BOLT capacity building initiatives. Their participation reflects the growing regional expertise and collaborative enforcement network taking shape across Caribbean Customs administrations.

These capacity building activities support Saint Vincent and Grenadines in developing border security skills, supporting the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap, and enhancing strategic risk management through the adoption of more risk-based business processes to reflect a modernized Customs service.

Through operational training, mentoring, and regional coordination, Project BOLT continues to support Caribbean Customs administrations' enforcement capabilities to combat illicit trafficking in firearms, narcotics, and other high-risk commodities. Collectively, these efforts reinforce the WCO's commitment to supporting safer, more secure communities across the Caribbean.