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Annually held on January 26, International Customs Day (ICD) recognizes the role of custom officials and agencies in maintaining border security. It focuses on the working conditions and challenges that customs officers face in their jobs, according to timeanddate.com.

Custom 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 that agencies and officers face are also held.

Several agencies also hold public outreach events where they educate the public about their jobs and responsibilities.

International Customs Day is not an official holiday and businesses, schools and government offices are open on this day.

Instituted by the World Customs Organization (WCO), International Customs Day is held on January 26, which commemorates the day in 1953 when the inaugural session of the Customs Cooperation Council (CCC) was held in Brussels, Belgium. Seventeen European countries attended this session. In 1994 the CCC was renamed World Customs Organization (WCO) and today custom organizations from 179 countries are WCO members.