The WCO announced that 2013 would be dedicated to promoting innovation under the slogan "Innovation for Customs progress”. The Year of innovation will be launched on International Customs Day celebrated annually by the global Customs community on 26 January 2013 in honour of the inaugural session of the Customs Co-operation Council (CCC) which took place on 26 January 1953. In 1994, the CCC adopted the informal working name "World Customs Organisation" to better reflect its worldwide growth in membership which now totals 179 Customs administrations. The WCO urged all customs authorities and its stakeholders to be innovative and creative in taking forward the innovation theme in all its facets throughout 2013. If you are interested in learning more about any of the articles in this week’s column, please send us an email with the headline of the article in the title.