Customs and Border Protection, Coast Guard, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement Senior Guidance Team—improving the unity of effort within DHS

Excerpt from U.S. Coast Guard “Proceedings of the Marine Safety & Security Council” magazine by Captain Anthony (Tony) Regalbuto (USCG, Retired), Chief, Office of International and Domestic Assessments, and Mr. Michael Perron, Acting Associate Director for Deliberate Planning, Customs and Border Protection.


In June 2006, ADM Thad Allen, then Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), and Mr. Ralph Basham, Commissioner of Customs and Border Protection (CBP), chartered a senior guidance team (SGT) represented by flag officers and senior executives from both agencies to improve our near- and long-term efficiency and effectiveness.

Customs and Border Protection and the Coast Guard have played significant roles but throughout our nation’s history. However, the threats of asymmetrical attacks have provided greater visibility to our agencies and more focus on and scrutiny of our missions. As ADM Allen has said in numerous forums following the September 11 terrorist attacks, “We (the Coast Guard) have never been more relevant, and we have never been more visible to the nation we serve.”

Clearly, the same could be said for Customs and Border Protection. Therefore it is incumbent upon CBP and the USCG to work efficiently and effectively to better prepare our nation to prevent, protect, respond to, and recover from terrorist attacks, natural disasters, and other incidents of national significance.

Initial Focus
In one of the first meetings of the senior guidance team, the leaders highlighted that there were three things that Customs and Border Protection and the Coast Guard needed to focus on, namely:

1. We need to better understand our dramatically changed operating environment.
2. We must change to sustain and improve our mission execution.
3. We must be more responsive to the needs of the nation.

As co-chairs for their respective agencies, Mr. Jayson Ahern, CBP Deputy Commissioner, and VADM David Pekoske, then USCG Deputy Commandant for Operations, quickly established ground rules for the senior guidance team. They agreed to meet quarterly and to form joint working groups to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of agency operations.

Initially the co-chairs formed work groups in:
· small vessel strategy to better address the small vessel threat;
· joint operation centers to improve command and control and information sharing;
· joint boardings for better mission execution;
· resumption of trade so the nation could recover from any hazard including terrorist attacks and hurricanes.

Ongoing Strategy
Building on the successes of the initial work, the co-chairs recently formed additional workgroups in:
· joint unmanned aircraft to build capability for DHS and its component agencies;
· joint training to improve the interoperability of agency assets;
· joint vessel targeting to ensure the highest-risk targets are intercepted, interrogated, and apprehended or neutralized, if necessary;
· joint logistics to improve the support to our people and assets at a reduced cost;
· joint budget development to better source the agencies based upon a joint strategy;
· joint specialized forces to improve interoperability of specialized forces in response to a hazard.

In January 2008 the co-chairs invited Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to the senior guidance team meeting. Since then, ICE has been an active participant in the quarterly meetings and has gained valuable insight in the workgroup initiatives to date.


Photo caption:
Team members from a joint dockside boarding and investigation that included the U.S. Coast Guard, Customs and Border Protection, and Puerto Rico Police Department inspect a void aboard a motor vessel where more than 2,000 lbs. of cocaine was hidden.


For more information:
Full article and “Interagency Success Stories” edition of USCG Proceedings is available at http://www.uscg.mil/proceedings/spring2009.

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Direct requests for print copies of this edition to: HQS-DG-NMCProceedings@uscg.mil.

The Cabinet-level Committee on the Marine Transportation System

Excerpt from U.S. Coast Guard “Proceedings of the Marine Safety & Security Council” magazine by Mr. John K. Bobb, J.D., and CDR Paul M. “Bo” Stocklin, Jr., M.M.A., M.P.A., U.S. Coast Guard Office of Marine Transportation Systems.


The U.S. marine transportation system (MTS) is arguably the least known and understood of our nation’s transportation modes, but it carries a large volume of our domestic and international cargo and passengers. It consists of waterways, ports, intermodal connections, vessels, vehicles, and system users, extending from the outer boundary of the U.S. exclusive economic zone, through its bays and sounds, ports, and waterways, to the first intermodal connection from the port. In the picture to the left, two ships are forced to pass close to each other in the narrow Houston Ship Channel. This maneuver, known as the “Texas Chicken,” highlights one of the challenges to the MTS.

Our MTS contributes to our economy and national security, but it faces many challenges. Its infrastructure is aging. Dredging to maintain and deepen channels is needed at many of our critical ports. Existing land in and adjacent to our ports is being sold off for housing and recreational uses, preventing its use for port and terminal expansion. Larger ships are straining our ports’ capacity. Vessel air emissions and overboard discharges harm our air and water.

The CMTS
In 2004, the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy made several recommendations regarding strengthening the marine transportation system, including that a cabinet-level committee be formed. In response, the president directed formation of the Committee on the Marine Transportation System (CMTS), which is comprised of the heads of 18 federal departments and independent agencies, and chaired by the secretary of the Department of Transportation.

Achievements
In its first year, the CMTS directed the coordinating board to develop a strategy and conduct an assessment of the MTS. In a collaborative effort led by the Coast Guard, representatives of 18 departments and agencies crafted the National Strategy for the Marine Transportation System: A Framework for Action, which identified five distinct challenges facing the MTS: inadequate system capacity, safety and security threats, environmental impacts, disruptions, and infrastructure financing. The strategy recommended 34 actions to overcome these challenges.

There have been several other CMTS achievements over the past two years, again highlighting the role interagency partnerships can play in moving the nation’s interests forward. For example, MARAD has established a single maritime data portal, which provides “one-stop shopping” for those seeking federal data on any aspect of the marine transportation system. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is conducting an in-depth assessment of the entire system to better understand infrastructure issues and solutions. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration leads the interdepartmental effort to integrate real-time weather and tidal information with the Coast Guard’s automatic identification system to distribute this information to the mariner. Other MTS efforts underway include looking at infrastructure investment policy and Arctic navigational requirements.

Interact with the CMTS
The CMTS relies on the expertise and participation of a broad range of stakeholders. For federal agency personnel seeking greater interaction with the CMTS, please contact the CMTS executive secretariat either via your agency contact, or directly via the CMTS website, http://www.cmts.gov/. For those outside federal service, please contact the federal agency you work with most frequently on MTS issues, and encourage them to be your conduit to the CMTS.


For more information:
Full article and “Interagency Success Stories” edition of USCG Proceedings is available at http://www.uscg.mil/proceedings/spring2009.

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The National Infrastructure Protection Plan—A Resilient America Through Partnership Innovation

Excerpt from U.S. Coast Guard “Proceedings of the Marine Safety & Security Council” magazine by Ms. Elena Hughes, CDR L.M. Roszkowski, and Ms. Eleanor Thompson, U.S. Coast Guard Office of Policy Integration, Executive Secretariat, NIPP Maritime SSA.


National efforts to protect critical infrastructure pre-date 9/11. Since then, policies and strategies related to infrastructure protection have evolved to incorporate resiliency as an integral component. DHS defines resiliency as “the ability to resist, absorb, recover from, or successfully adapt to adversity or a change in conditions.” What this means is that critical infrastructure and key resources (CIKR) protection is not only about preventing or countering a terrorist attack, but about systems and processes across the infrastructure being able to absorb, adapt, and recover from all types of incidents and hazards. Resiliency is key to national security as threats to the homeland become ever more complex, insidious, and challenging to detect.

With a national goal to build a safer, more secure, and more resilient America by enhancing protection of the nation’s CIKR, the National Infrastructure Protection Plan (NIPP) identifies 18 CIKR sectors integral to the U.S. economy and our way of life. Responsibilities for each sector are assigned to federal agencies, which serve as a sector-specific agency (SSA). The Transportation Security Administration serves as the lead SSA within the Transportation Systems Sector, with the U.S. Coast Guard serving as the sector-specific agency for the maritime mode of this sector.

The NIPP supports efforts to build resiliency across the spectrum of critical infrastructure through a unique, more recently established and innovative partnership framework. Specifically, the Critical Infrastructure Partnership Advisory Council (CIPAC) has enabled creation of sector coordinating councils (SCC) and government coordinating councils (GCC). SCCs are composed of private owners, operators, and associations, and government coordinating councils are composed of government agencies and associations. This construct allows federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial governments to communicate and share information through the legal framework provided by the CIPAC. At the core of the partnership model is the reality that the private sector owns approximately 85 percent of critical infrastructure and key resources. This collaborative communication between the government and the private sector further enhances the ability to protect, respond, and recover for which resiliency is the gestalt.

The Transportation Systems Sector is comprised of all modes of transportation (aviation, maritime, mass transit, highway and motor carrier, freight rail, and pipeline). These modes have collaborated to develop the Transportation System Sector-Specific Plan, with the vision of a secure and resilient transportation network, enabling legitimate travelers and goods to move without undue fear of harm or significant disruption of commerce and civil liberties. The Transportation Systems Sector has significant supply chain implications and interdependencies with other CIKR sectors. This relationship was glaringly evident during the recovery from Hurricane Katrina.

Since that time, the implementation of the NIPP has led to increased intermodal and cross-sector coordination, as evidenced by the successful preparation, response, and recovery of CIKR sectors after the Midwest flooding and Gulf Coast hurricanes of 2008. In short, across the landscape of the U.S. economy, the NIPP risk management framework supports resiliency as an effective means of mitigating risk.


For more information:
More information about the NIPP partnership, along with the Transportation Systems Sector-Specific Plan and others, may be found at http://www.dhs.gov/files/programs/editorial_0827.shtm. Points of contact for the maritime mode may be found at http://www.uscg.mil/hq/cg5/cg513/.

Full article and “Interagency Success Stories” edition of USCG Proceedings is available at http://www.uscg.mil/proceedings/spring2009.

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The National Search and Rescue Committee—working together to support lifesaving

Excerpt from U.S. Coast Guard “Proceedings of the Marine Safety & Security Council” magazine by Mr. Rick Button, Chief, Coordination Division, U.S. Coast Guard Office of Search and Rescue.


What is the NSARC?
There is quite a bit of history behind the National Search and Rescue Committee (NSARC). In 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower asked the Air Coordinating Committee to review U.S. civil aviation policy. The committee members studied all available facilities, including provisions to control and coordinate all types of search and rescue missions. Their efforts resulted in the National Search and Rescue Plan of the United States. Unfortunately, after this excellent start, the plan sat on a federal shelf for over almost two decades.

During a 1974 national search and rescue (SAR) conference, the Department of Transportation volunteered to organize and implement the Interagency Committee on Search and Rescue (ICSAR) to oversee the National Search and Rescue Plan. In 1999, the National Search and Rescue Plan was rewritten and ICSAR was renamed the National Search and Rescue Committee. In 2007, as a result of the problems identified in the federal response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the National Search and Rescue Plan was rewritten a second time. The revised plan now includes the federal government’s response to large-scale, infrequent, mass rescue SAR operations.

In addition to the Department of Homeland Security, NSARC member federal departments and agencies include the Departments of Defense, Commerce, Interior, and Transportation; the Federal Communications Commission; and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Other national organizations such as the Civil Air Patrol and the National Association for Search and Rescue participate as observers.

NSARC’s objectives:
· Provide a standing committee to oversee the National Search and Rescue Plan and coordinate interagency SAR matters.
· Provide a forum for preliminary development of interagency positions in SAR matters.
· Provide for an interface with other national agencies involved with emergency services.

In addition to overseeing the National Search and Rescue Plan, NSARC also developed the United States National SAR Supplement, which has two key goals:
· Provide guidance to implement the National Search and Rescue Plan.
· Provide guidance for member agencies in fulfilling U.S. obligations under international SAR conventions.

NSARC in a Post-Hurricane Katrina World
Since Hurricane Katrina, the National Search and Rescue Committee’s role in national search and rescue coordination has dramatically increased. NSARC’s member agencies realized that not only did the National Search and Rescue Plan and U.S. National Search and Rescue Supplement require changes to reflect disaster operations, but also needed to address a new interagency search and rescue paradigm.

NSARC created an interagency task force to address these concerns. In 2007 the task force rewrote the National Search and Rescue Plan to identify the United States federal SAR coordinator’s responsibilities and provide national SAR guidance, as well as harmonize the National Search and Rescue Plan within the national response framework.

Additionally, the National Search and Rescue Committee coordinated efforts among the U.S. Northern Command, the Marine Corps, the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center and other Department of Defense offices, the Coast Guard, National Park Service, Federal Emergency Management Agency, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, and the National Association for Search and Rescue to create a Catastrophic Incident SAR Addendum. The addendum provides guidance for coordinating catastrophic incident search and rescue among responders. NSARC will review the addendum annually to incorporate lessons learned and other new information.


For more information:
Full article and “Interagency Success Stories” edition of USCG Proceedings is available at http://www.uscg.mil/proceedings/spring2009.

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Improving Commercial Fishing Vessel Safety Through Collaboration

Excerpt from U.S. Coast Guard “Proceedings of the Marine Safety & Security Council” magazine by CDR Jennifer M. Lincoln, Ph.D., National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health; Mr. Charles J. Medlicott, Sector Anchorage, 17th Coast Guard District; and CDR Christopher J. Woodley, MMA, 13th Coast Guard District.


Commercial fishing in Alaska’s Bering Sea/Aleutian Island (BSAI) crab fleet has long been one of the most dangerous occupations in the United States, and was popularized in the Discovery Channel’s series “The Deadliest Catch.” Stemming in part from the devastating losses of the Seattle-based crab vessels F/V Americus and F/V Altair in February 1983 (a combined total of 14 fatalities), Congress passed the Commercial Fishing Industry Vessel Safety Act in 1988. It provided the first Coast Guard authority to develop safety regulations for commercial fishing vessels, and focused on improving the survivability of commercial fishermen after a casualty.

However, the act provides no authority to require regularly scheduled safety compliance examinations, and commercial fishing vessels remain classified as “uninspected.” This legal framework has prompted extensive collaboration to improve safety. The regulations developed under the act require survival equipment, including life rafts, immersion suits, emergency position indicating radio beacons (EPIRBs), and also some training in emergency drills and the use of this emergency equipment. These safety regulations had their intended effect in Alaska commercial fisheries, which experienced a 67 percent decline in total commercial fishing deaths and a 38 percent decline in the commercial fishing fatality rate from 1990 to 1999. However, the shellfish fisheries in Alaska had the highest fatality rate of all fisheries in the state.

The Bering Sea/Aleutian Island crab fleet, which figured so prominently in the development of the safety legislation and regulations, continued experiencing staggering losses. During the 1990-1999 crab seasons, an average of eight lives were lost annually. In October 1999, an innovative regional safety program focusing on the prevention of vessel loss was developed to address the hazards of this dangerous fishery.

Stability Check
To address this, the “At the Dock Stability and Safety Compliance Check” was cooperatively established through a partnership of the 13th and 17th Coast Guard Districts, the Alaska Crab Coalition, the North Pacific Fishing Vessel Owners’ Association, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Alaska Field Office, and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G).

The Bering Sea/Aleutian Island crab industry leadership was very receptive to this kind of program because it placed a high value on safety and responsible vessel operations and endorsed the program, offering strong support to senior USCG leadership through numerous public forums.

To execute the program, USCG personnel joined with ADF&G to conduct tank checks in multiple ports. While ADF&G personnel conducted tank checks, the USCG reviewed vessel loading and stability issues with the master and checked for overloading. Operating in this manner, the ADF&G/USCG team would be on each vessel for a total of 10-15 minutes.

Casualty Rates/SAR Cases
Since the beginning of the crab rationalization program in August 2005, there continue to be no vessel losses for vessels participating in the rationalized crab fisheries (though on January 6, 2009, after preparation of this article, the first fatality in the BSAI crab fishery occurred on the F/V Seabrooke due to a fall overboard. This was the first fatality in this fishery since January 2005).


For more information:
Full article and “Interagency Success Stories” edition of USCG Proceedings is available at http://www.uscg.mil/proceedings/spring2009.

Subscribe online at http://www.uscg.mil/proceedings/subscribe.asp.

Direct requests for print copies of this edition to: HQS-DG-NMCProceedings@uscg.mil.

Upcoming in Proceedings

Summer 2010: Maritime Domain Awareness
• Transforming MDA policy
• Transforming MDA capabilities
• Transforming MDA through technology

Fall 2010: Recreational Boating Safety (RBS)
• RBS program synopsis
• State RBS involvement
• RBS partners
• Manufacturing standards
• USCG Auxiliary
• Small vessel security

Winter 2010-11: Fishing Vessel Safety

Your Opinion
• What do you want to read in Proceedings?
• What area under the Coast Guard’s marine safety, security, and environmental protection missions affects you most?
• What do you want to know more about?

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The Citizen’s Action Network—how the U.S. Coast Guard put the “home” in homeland security

Excerpt from U.S. Coast Guard “Proceedings of the Marine Safety & Security Council” magazine by LCDR Michael Billeaudeaux, U.S. Coast Guard District 13; and Mr. Ryan F. Owens, Chief, Industry Outreach Branch, U.S. Coast Guard Domestic Ports Division.


Among other missions, the U.S. Coast Guard is charged with protecting the nation’s shoreline, including ports, cities, and critical infrastructure. As a relatively small agency (40,000 active duty personnel) with a highly complex and prodigious mission, the Coast Guard has been taking an innovative approach to organize a grassroots workforce: the Citizen’s Action Network (CAN).

CAN members include waterfront businesses, tribal members, and everyday Americans who are available to report real-time information along thousands of miles of sparsely populated seashores, rugged rivers, or other complex waterways. The Coast Guard communicates directly to Citizen’s Action Network members to get assistance in identifying (or ruling out) the sources of marine flares, gathering on-scene weather, establishing lookouts, or corroborating other information. The Coast Guard also routinely sends electronic messages to the members, keeping them informed and alert throughout emergent and long-term situations.

A Common Operating Picture
Citizen’s Action Network members’ home locations are maintained in a centralized and secure database where Coast Guard dispatchers may view them as part of a common operating picture. CAN locations and membership information may be viewed and layered on top of automatic information system or vessel traffic service-provided vectors, side by side with other law enforcement assets or alongside intended maritime search areas. By leveraging CAN’s on-scene information, field missions are run more efficiently and effectively.

An Aid to Counterterrorism
Although CAN is designed as a government-to-citizen support and information network, it is a critical component that provides vigilance within the maritime domain. For example, members have reported the presence of illegal migrants, drug labs, suspicious vessel movements, and unusual maritime activities.

Since 2005 the Coast Guard has been banking on public vigilance in the maritime domain through the America’s Waterway Watch program (toll-free number 877-24-WATCH). Citizen’s Action Network members are also armed with this reporting number and have used it to report in some significant cases.

The Future of the Citizen’s Action Network
As a networked community, CAN represents a new homeland security working model—a best practice for building a grassroots culture of prevention that capitalizes on broad and inspired citizenry. As these citizens are by far more familiar with their waterfront communities, they are often in the best position to help create effective solutions to unique problems.

In 2008 the Coast Guard Domestic Ports and Waterways Branch teamed up with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection service to develop a national implementation plan that will formalize the CAN concept within a more robust America’s Waterway Watch concept. The idea is to maximize the power of citizens, businesses, and tribal members among a variety of federal, state, and local agencies covering many domains, including borders, airports, rail systems, and highways.


Photo Caption:
United States Coast Guard Auxiliary members who are also Citizen’s Action Network members receive binoculars, night vision scopes, and marine-band radios. CAN members are encouraged to join the auxiliary to receive added benefits, which include extra training, more direct engagement with the USCG, and the ability to receive observation and communication tools such as those seen here.

For more information:
Full article and “Interagency Success Stories” edition of USCG Proceedings is available at http://www.uscg.mil/proceedings/spring2009.

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Direct requests for print copies of this edition to: HQS-DG-NMCProceedings@uscg.mil

Maritime Security—protecting the maritime transportation sector through regional partnerships

Excerpt from U.S. Coast Guard “Proceedings of the Marine Safety & Security Council” magazine by CDR Michael Long, U.S. Coast Guard Sector Seattle; Mr. Pablo Martinez, the Organization of American States; Mr. Stephen Larkin, Transport Canada; and Mr. Marc Mes, Transport Canada.

Transportation security is a major and continuing challenge in today’s global environment. In the maritime transportation environment, where overlapping jurisdictions, competitive pressures, and international pressures are the norm, cooperation through partnerships is especially important.

The United States Coast Guard and Transport Canada (TC)/Marine Security recognize that maritime security requires not only a collaborative approach, but also an international approach. As a result, the USCG and TC/Marine Security have broadened their extremely close maritime security working relationship to include partnerships with regional organizations.

The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum and the Organization of American States (OAS) are two such organizations where the USCG (through its International Ports Security Program) and TC/Marine Security have worked to broaden international consensus to implement international maritime security standards, share best practices, and increase capacity.

ISPS Code Implementation Assistance
One of the first major projects of the APEC’s Inter-American Committee Against Counter-Terrorism (MEG-SEC) was forming the ISPS Code Implementation Assistance Program (ICIAP). The ICIAP was a joint proposal of Australia, Canada, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, and the U.S. to provide training and other forms of port security capacity-building assistance to the developing member economies of Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Peru, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.

The first phase training focused on ISPS Code awareness workshops and developing organizational frameworks to implement ISPS Code requirements, while the second phase concentrated on ISPS Code-related drills and exercises and security assessments. The third phase will include the Port Security Visit Program (PSVP), as detailed below.

ISPS Code Standardization, Best Security Practices, Needs Assessments
Recognizing that the performance-based nature of the ISPS Code resulted in many APEC economies embracing differing methodologies and levels of ISPS Code compliance, MEG-SEC developed a port security visit program aimed at promoting an increased level of consistent code implementation across the Asia-Pacific region.

The port security visit program entails member economies hosting a delegation of maritime security experts from other APEC economies to review the host economy’s ISPS Code implementation conventions and results to recognize best security practices and identify ISPS Code implementation needs.

Within the OAS, following a sub-regional pattern, the Inter-American Committee Against Counter-Terrorism Secretariat conducted workshops on best practices in implementing international maritime security standards for each targeted sub-region—Southern Cone, the Andes, Central America, and the Caribbean. The aim was to promote cooperation and exchange of best practices on port security threats and methods to counter them.

The CICTE Secretariat also conducts assessments and training activities within the region. Based on the assessments, and building on the experience gained from the USCG’s International Port Security Program visits, CICTE tailors security training to mitigate the risks confronting each member state. Additionally, the training needs assessments also evaluate significant security precautions, such as access control to restricted areas; handling of cargo, ship stores, and unaccompanied baggage; and facility security monitoring procedures. The subsequent training specifically addresses basic aspects of port facilities’ security, access control, and customs and law enforcement procedures.

Looking Ahead
Through this continued close collaboration, the U.S., Canada, the other APEC economies, and OAS member states will continue to enhance the security of the maritime transportation sector.


For more information:
Full article and “Interagency Success Stories” edition of USCG Proceedings is available at http://www.uscg.mil/proceedings/spring2009.

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The South Asia Region Port Security Cooperative

Excerpt from U.S. Coast Guard “Proceedings of the Marine Safety & Security Council” magazine by LCDR Scott Stoermer, International Port Security Liaison Officer, U.S. Coast Guard Activities Far East.


Among many other things, the analyses of September 11 identified limited communication, organizational stovepipes, and inter-organizational power struggles as critical road blocks to information sharing. While the 9/11 Commission final report refers mainly to the law enforcement and intelligence communities, its applicability is far more ubiquitous. The maritime sector is one of the areas where communication and cross-organizational information sharing was lacking. Moreover, the global nature of the maritime transportation sector and the interconnected web of world markets are excellent examples of where collaboration is critical.

Cooperative Effort: A Key to Success
In the case of maritime and port security, a number of organizations throughout the world assist member states and provide regional forums to share port security information and build mutual capacity.

As an example, in the Americas, the Organization of American States has a Secretariat of the Inter-American Committee Against Terrorism that maintains a port security program. The European Union has a robust communications and rulemaking infrastructure for port security. The African Union, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, the Association of South East Asian Nations, and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community assist their member states with port security capacity building and provide a collaborative forum to share information and develop regional solutions to mutual issues.

In the case of South Asia and the Central Indian Ocean, no such port security-oriented organization had previously existed. Consequently, there was no practical way to affect cross-border cooperation and communication regarding regional maritime and port security issues.

South Asia Region Port Security Cooperative: The Idea
The South Asia Region Port Security Cooperative (SARPSCO) was born of necessity. In 2006, the Sri Lanka Navy thwarted an attack on the Port of Galle in southern Sri Lanka. The port facility security officer (PFSO) expressed his desire to share lessons learned from the attack with PFSOs throughout the region. Moreover, he shared his frustration at the lack of a regional mechanism through which this information could be promulgated.

From this kernel, LCDR Richard Kavanaugh, the IPSLO for Sri Lanka and other countries in South Asia, began to engage the Coast Guard and other nations regarding the idea and a regional organization was developed in cooperation with U.S. embassies and regional governments. Through the formalization of the partnership, the government of the Republic of Maldives took the lead in developing the cooperative and offered to host an initial conference.

An Idea Becomes Reality
Entitled “Partnering for a Safer Sea,” the conference was held in May 2008 in the Republic of Maldives. Conference delegates represented nine nations and myriad security partners including Interpol, the International Maritime Organization, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Conference flow provided for a mix of presentations, panel discussions, networking opportunities, and discussion sessions.

Successes and Outcomes
By all accounts, the conference was a resounding success and ended with a unanimously approved conference agreement citing the importance of such a forum and the desire to bring the delegates/stakeholders together for a future event.

What’s Next?
It is vitally important that we work with the nations of the region to collaboratively deal with problems of mutual concern. The Coast Guard’s foray into the world of international engagement and security-related capacity building efforts, such as this conference, provide awesome opportunities to showcase the Coast Guard, its missions, and its expertise.

Activities Far East looks forward to working with the other nations of the region to further support their efforts to improve port security in the central Indian Ocean region.


For more information:
Full article and “Interagency Success Stories” edition of USCG Proceedings is available at http://www.uscg.mil/proceedings/spring2009.

Subscribe online at http://www.uscg.mil/proceedings/subscribe.asp.

Direct requests for print copies of this edition to: HQS-DG-NMCProceedings@uscg.mil.

The Third Western Hemispheric Conference on Port Security

Excerpt from U.S. Coast Guard “Proceedings of the Marine Safety & Security Council” magazine by LTJG Katie Stanko, U.S. Coast Guard Inspection & Investigations Staff, Seventh Coast Guard District.


The ISPS Code was written by many larger countries with major ports and facilities in response to the devastating terrorist acts of September 11, 2001. Smaller maritime-dependent nations throughout the Western Hemisphere met these steep mandates through a combination of ingenuity and best practices that have drastically improved the region’s maritime transportation system.

The Inter-American Committee on Ports (CIP) initiated hemispheric conferences on port security to encourage Organization of American States (OAS) member nations to discuss the state of security in their respective ports and share best practices for port security.

More than 200 delegates attended a recent conference, including the director of the Specialized Body of Port Security from the Dominican Republic, the chair of the Executive Board for the Inter-American Committee on Ports, the assistant secretary general of OAS, and International Maritime Organization representatives, along with various other senior personnel from the private and public sectors of their respective nations. U.S. delegates included Maritime Administration, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Coast Guard, and state partnership program representatives.

In the photo foreground is Mr. Sean Connaughton, MARAD administrator and head of delegation for the United States. Also pictured is RDML Kevin Cook, U.S. Coast Guard, second row.

The State of Security and Best Practices
The conference primarily focused on the OAS member nations reporting the state of security in their respective ports and their best practices. In addition, several key international organizations presented on the state of port security international standards and regulations from a global perspective. Seven regional port terminals were highlighted as leaders in technological advances and implementation techniques:

• Manzanillo International Terminals, Republic of Panama;


• APM Terminal Limited, Kingston, Jamaica;


• Puerto Multimodal Caucedo, Dominican Republic;


• Puerto Barrios, Guatemala;


• Puerto de Veracruz, Mexico;


• Puerto de Buenos Aires, Argentina;


• Haina International Terminal, Dominican Republic.

Additionally, four of the seven ports highlighted (Manzanillo, Kingston, Caucedo, and Buenos Aires) have been certificated by Customs and Border Protection as “container security initiative ports” because they implemented a security regime to ensure all containers that pose a potential terrorism risk are identified and inspected in their ports before they are placed on vessels destined for the United States.

The U.S. Coast Guard international port security officer highlighted specific best practices, as observed in various countries throughout the region, including using Internet-based worker access cards, command control TV surveillance systems, and implementing mandatory training for workers.

The Way Forward
As port security continues to improve throughout the Western Hemisphere, it is clear that the private sector will make port security essential to its business plan, picking those ports that have the best security to remain competitive in the shipping market.

The logical next step is to improve partnerships. Leveraging government-to-government contacts will especially help those nations with small law enforcement agencies and little maritime background.

Additionally, organizations such as the Caribbean Shipping Association have been committed to improving and effectively enforcing the safety and security of the ports in the region. Leveraging these industry connections is vital to enabling the Western Hemisphere to build a framework of successful port security programs.


For more information:
Full article and “Interagency Success Stories” edition of USCG Proceedings is available at http://www.uscg.mil/proceedings/spring2009.

Subscribe online at http://www.uscg.mil/proceedings/subscribe.asp.

Direct requests for print copies of this edition to: HQS-DG-NMCProceedings@uscg.mil.