WCO dedicates 2025 to Customs Delivering on its Commitment to Efficiency, Security and Prosperity

On 26 January each year, WCO Member Customs administrations celebrate International Customs Day. This is a chance for them to honour the dedication of their respective staffs, educate the public on Customs' mission and role, and mobilize decision makers who can help ensure that they have the resources required to address challenges effectively and efficiently.

International Customs Day is also an opportunity for the WCO to highlight a specific area in which its Members are invited to act. This may be a topic of particular concern to societies around the world, or an approach identified as being key to advancing Customs' mission. The objectives in either case are the same: to promote the standards and guidelines created by the WCO along with the aspirations voiced by Members and to ensure that these standards and guidelines are translated into real-world practices.

This year, special focus is being placed on the need to turn commitments into tangible actions that advance trade facilitation, ensure security and foster sustainable economic growth as part of the WCO's theme for 2025: "Customs Delivering on its Commitment to Efficiency, Security and Prosperity". WCO Members are reminded of the direction that has been set at the WCO and are invited to showcase the actions they have taken to build momentum as well as to share any measurable progress.

Efficiency, security and prosperity are permanent global aims, achieved through steadfast efforts to improve everything Customs does. Efficiency, in particular, is powered by the modernization of Customs procedures and the development of digital services, the promotion of data-driven operations and analytical tools, the use of inspection and monitoring devices, and cooperation and engagement with public and private entities. In the security realm, Customs' activities range from bolstering supply chain security to preventing the movement of illicit goods, combating money laundering, and enhancing crisis preparedness. The ultimate goal, prosperity, depends on our ability to ensure fair revenue collection, foster innovation and entrepreneurship, support sustainable economic development, and create inclusive policies, procedures and environments that take into account the diverse needs of the citizens we serve.

While Customs works every day to further efficiency, improve security, and support prosperity, we need to demonstrate more visibly to our governments and society at large how we are taking action and delivering results. Reporting and accountability mechanisms are already in place in some countries. However, they are often aimed at a specialized audience, and Customs' achievements and their impact on social well-being are often not well understood by the public.

This year, we are embarking on a path that challenges us to communicate more and better, to tell the stories of the positive work Customs is doing and to remind ourselves of the fundamental drivers for our effort. When we tell these stories, we must be open and candid. The goals we are pursuing are large and complex, and the work to accomplish them must be understood to be ongoing. To describe our efforts effectively, we must blend data with an ability to tell compelling, people-centered stories. By weaving facts and narrative, we can better engage, influence, teach and inspire listeners.

I greatly appreciate your support and dedication in making International Customs Day a memorable occasion, and for promoting and acting upon our 2025 theme throughout the year. Let's ensure we use this year to help the world understand the role Customs plays in protecting and improving lives.

I wish you all a wonderful International Customs Day.

Ian Saunders
Secretary General
26 January 2025