Vel Moonien
Journalist
Senior Policy Advisor, World Customs Organization
Mariya Polner joined the WCO in 2009 and since then she has occupied several positions. In her current role as a Senior Policy Advisor at the WCO Enforcement and Compliance Sub-Directorate, she deals with a variety of issues related to illicit trade, governance, security and data analytics. Since 2015, she has become a Programme Lead on Cultural Heritage, working on the development and implementation of the global advocacy to counter illicit trafficking of cultural objects, as well as the deployment of the operational tools for Customs administrations.
Before joining the WCO, Mariya worked at the European Commission’s Directorate General on External Relations and at the European Union Border Assistance Mission to Moldova and Ukraine. Mariya holds two degrees: an MA in International Relations from Central European University (Budapest, Hungary), and an MA in EU Politics from the College of Europe (Bruges, Belgium).