Pieter Struijs – Vice-chairman of the Executive board of the Port of Rotterdam and President of the International Association of Ports and Harbors – on September 14 was presented with the ‘Maritime
Lifetime Achievement Award’ during the Maritime Security Expo in New York. Together with U.S. Commissioner of the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection Robert Bonner, Struijs will be presented with this award in recognition of his efforts to promote security in the shipping industry.
Under the supervision of Struijs, the Port of Rotterdam has over the last couple of years been applying itself to promoting the security of the port of Rotterdam. The multidisciplinary Criminality Platform, for example, was already established as early as 1997. Recently, there was the introduction of new European legislation in the field of security: the ISPS Code. For this, a web application has been developed that offers members of the business community support in the drawing up of their own, tailor-made security plans.
Struijs said “Security has always been an important focal point for us here at the Port of Rotterdam, both from a sense of responsibility towards the customer in the port and towards the areas surrounding the port. Cooperation between the various organizations in Rotterdam that focus on security, such as the Seaport Police, Customs, the Rotterdam Port Authority and the security team of the Port of Rotterdam, has always been very important in this respect. The fight against terrorism will also require substantial efforts from our side in the future."