International Customs Day 2023 – Theme, History, Quiz, How to Observe

International Customs Day (also known as ICD) is celebrated on 26th January every year all around the world. It recognizes the role of custom officials and agencies in maintaining the flow of goods across the world’s borders and also in maintaining border security. It recognizes the role of custom officials and agencies in . They ensure that the world trade management is safe and secure. It also focuses on the working conditions and challenges that customs officers face in implementation of their jobs.

History of International Customs Day 2023

Customs is the authority in a country where the officials check the incoming and outgoing goods, including animals, transports, personal items and hazardous items, and collects duties and taxes levied by the government. The Customs Cooperation Council (CCC) was marked on the 15th December, 1950 in Brussels but it came into force two years later on 4th November,1952. CCC is an autonomous body to enhance the efficacy and effectiveness of the customs administrations all across the world. International Customs Day commemorates the day in 1953 when the inaugural session of the CCC was held on 26 January in Brussels, Belgium. Members from seventeen European countries attended this session. In 1983, the CCC created International Customs Day celebrating the 30th anniversary of the first CCC session. In 1994, the CCC was renamed World Customs Organization (WCO) and today custom organizations from 182 countries are WCO members. Three-quarters of the members are from developing countries. They are responsible for managing more than 98% of world trade.

WCO is the only international body dedicated to international customs and border control matters. The main objective of the WCO is to make customs administrations around the world more efficient by promoting a simplified international trade system. Their primary mission is to provide leadership, guidance, and support to customs administrations according to their vision “to help make borders work”. They believe that customs help to improve the economic, social, and environmental impact of goods moving from one country to another. The headquarters of WCO is in Brussels.

How to Observe World Customs Day 2023

Customs agencies hold employee appreciation events where custom officers are recognized for their exemplary service. Workshops, conferences and talks that focus on the year’s theme and the challenges faced by the officers are also held.  On this day, members of the World Customs Organization (WCO) also showcase their efforts and activities. Several agencies also hold public events where they educate the public about their responsibilities. The public needs to be aware of the role of customs and about the customs regulations. They also need to be educated about how these processes help keep the countries safe.

International Customs Day 2023 Theme

The WCO is dedicating 2023 to ” Nurturing the next generation: promoting a culture of knowledge-sharing and professional pride in Customs.” The International Customs Day is well known for following and keeping up with their selected theme every year.

International customs day is celebrated every year using different themes to focus on a particular event. Some of the recent themes for the day have been as follows:

2022: ‘Customs Digital Transformation by Embracing a Data Culture and Building a Data Ecosystem’

2021: Customs bolstering Recovery, Renewal and Resilience for a sustainable supply chain.

2020: Customs fostering Sustainability for People, Prosperity, and the Planet.

2019: SMART borders for seamless Trade, Travel, and Transport.

2018: A Secure business environment for economic development.

2017: Data Analysis for Effective Border Management.

2016: Digital Customs: Progressive Engagement.

2015: Coordinated Border Management – An inclusive approach for connecting stakeholders.

2014: Communication: sharing information for better cooperation.

2013: Innovation for Customs progress.

2012: Borders divide, Customs connects.

2011: Knowledge, a catalyst for Customs Excellence

2010: Customs and Business: improving performance through partnerships.

2009: Customs and the environment: protecting our natural heritage.

World Customs Day 2023 Quiz

Where is the headquarters of World Customs Organization (WCO)?

a) London

b) Paris

c) Brussels

d) Geneva

Ans: c) Brussels

What was World Customs Organization originally known as?

a) Organization for European Economic Co-operation (OEEC)

b) Customs Co-operation Council (CCC)

c) International Labor Organization (ILO)

d) World Trade Organization (WTO)

Ans: b) Customs Co-operation Council (CCC)

When was Customs Co-operation Council (CCC) established?

a) 1994

b) 1952

c) 1951

d) 1982

Ans: b) 1952

How many countries are currently members of the World Customs Organization (WCO)?

a) 17

b) 53

c) 177

d) 182

Ans: d) 182

When did India become a member of World Customs Organization (WCO)?

a) 1971

b) 1980

c) 1994

d) 2000

Ans: a) 1971

The International Customs Day is celebrated to enhance the effectiveness and efficacy of the member customs administrations, to assist the members to actively contribute to the custom development and to enhance revenue collection, community protection, national security, and trade statistics collection.

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