Port Facility Security Officers News

The International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS) is mandatory instrument addressing the safety and security of ships, ports, cargo and crew, says International Maritime Organization (IMO).According to the UN body, it contains detailed security-related requirements for Governments, port authorities and shipping companies to ensure preventive measures can be taken if a security threat is determined.Maldives has become the latest country to receive maritime security training from IMO on the ISPS Code, specifically for its Designated Authority (DA) and Port Facility Security Officers (PFSOs).A three-day workshop in Male, Maldives…

Ghana is the latest country to benefit from training on the implementation of International Maritime Organization (IMO) maritime security standards in SOLAS Chapter XI-2 and the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code.The workshop (9 -13 September) was held in Accra, Ghana. Participants discussed ways to cooperate at the national level to acquire the necessary support they need in order to take ownership of implementation and compliance with the requirements.The event brought together representatives from Ghana Maritime Authority, Ghana port and harbour Authority, Ship owners and several ports operators, who have been…

Proper implementation of International Maritime Organization (IMO)'s maritime security measures is essential for trade.The Seychelles is the latest country to benefit from training on the implementation of SOLAS Chapter XI-2 and the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code, said the UN body.Participants discussed ways to cooperate at the national level to acquire the necessary support they need in order to take ownership of implementation and compliance with IMO maritime security measures. They also learned how to train other officials with similar responsibilities.The workshop which concluded today in Mahe, Seychelles (26-30 August) brought together Port facility Security Officers (PFSOs) and representatives involved in maritime and port security…

International Maritime Organization (IMO)  maritime security training is underway for Libyan port facility security officers, managers and designated authority officials (18-22 August).According to the UN body, the workshop, delivered in English and in Arabic, aims to assist the Libyan Government in enhanced security risk assessments and controls on maritime transport through its territory.According to a press release, fifteen officers in charge of port security from ports across the country are attending, including five from the national maritime security committee in charge of oversight the implementation of the Code in the country.Participants are being trained on how to perform their duties in line with SOLAS Chapter XI-2 (click for details)…

Proper implementation of International Maritime Organization (IMO)'s maritime security measures is essential for trade.Kenya is the latest country to benefit from training on the implementation of SOLAS Chapter XI-2 and the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code, informed the UN body.A national workshop in Mombasa, Kenya (5-9 August) brought together Port facility security officers (PFSOs) as well as representatives of all structures involved in maritime and port security, including Kenya Ports Authority, Kenya Maritime Authority, Customs, Kenya Coast Guard Service, maritime police, and several other port operators.PFSOs…

International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the South Pacific Community, in collaboration with the Government of Vanuatu, are holding a Regional Maritime Security Workshop in Port Vila, Vanuatu (22-25 July). "Good maritime and port security is the enabler for maritime and economic development through maritime trade. It can be taken for granted when it works, but maintaining good security is essential," said the UN body.The workshop coincides with IMO Secretary General Kitack Lim's visit to Vanuatu, Fiji and Australia - the first time an IMO Secretary General visits the South Pacific.The regional workshop brings together Heads of Designated…

A live security drill at a cruise ship terminal in Mexico has given participants the opportunity to hone their skills and assess where any improvements can be made, said a press release from the International Maritime Organization (IMO).The exercise, including a simulated bomb threat, was part of a workshop on Maritime Security Drills and Exercises, delivered by the Mexican National Maritime Authority (SEMAR) and the organizers of XIII International Forum on Maritime and Port Security (PBIP Forum), in cooperation with IMO, in Cozumel, Mexico (27-30 May) at the Cozumel Cruise terminal.Participants in the drills and workshop included the cruise terminal port facility security officers…

The second in a planned series of interactive workshops to prepare countries for a wide range of potential threats and security situations has been held, in Veracruz, Mexico (26-27 February).The interactive Port Facility Security/Port Security Officer Tabletop Exercise was run by International Maritime Organization (IMO) in collaboration with the Organization of American States Inter American Committee Against Terrorism (OAS-CICTE), following a successful pilot in Panama 2018.According to a press note from the UN body, participants in Mexico took part in a simulation exercise, designed to allow port facility security officers to develop their decision making skills in different situations…

Honduras is hosting a workshop on the International Maritime Organization (IMO) regulation setting out preventive security measures in case of threats to ships and port facilities – the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code.The event in Puerto Cortez, Honduras (23-27 July) comes as a follow-up to a 2017 exercise in which the country’s specific technical assistance needs were identified.Designated authority and port facility security officers are improving their knowledge and understanding of how to implement the relevant provisions in the ISPS Code and SOLAS Chapter XI-2.Participants are also reviewing the practical guidance contained in the “Guide to maritime security and the ISPS Code”…

International Maritime Organization (IMO) maritime security training is underway for Libyan port facility security officers, managers and designated authority officials (30 April – 4 May). The workshop, delivered entirely in Arabic, aims to assist the Libyan Government in enhanced security risk assessments and controls on maritime transport through its territory. It is the first IMO maritime security workshop for Libya since the country's civil war. Twenty officers in charge of port security from ports across the country are attending, including five from the national committee in charge of oversight of compliance in the country. Participants are being trained on how to perform their duties in line with IMO’s code on International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS Code)…

For the first time, a national workshop on IMO's International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS Code) was delivered in Arabic during a five-day training course held in Doha, Qatar (22-26 April). Designated authority and port facility security officers had the chance to improve their knowledge and understanding through practical exercises as well as class-based training in how to implement the relevant provisions of the ISPS Code, SOLAS Chapter XI-2 and related guidance. The participants will now be equipped with the necessary skills to train others with similar responsibilities. Organized at the request of the Ministry of Transport and Communications of Qatar…

Mexico has hosted a five-day workshop on International Maritime Organization (IMO)'s International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS Code), which sets out preventive security measures in case of threats to ships and port facilities. Designated authority and port facility security officers had the chance to improve their knowledge and understanding through practical exercises as well as class-based training in how to implement the relevant provisions of the ISPS Code, SOLAS Chapter XI-2 and related guidance. The participants will now be equipped with the necessary skills to train others with similar responsibilities. The national workshop…

Ports provide the critical interface between the ship and the shore. For maritime trade to flow effectively, this vital infrastructure needs to be secure – and this involves people at all levels. A national maritime security training workshop in Djibouti (19-23 March) included practical exercises and a site visit to a nearby port facility as well as class-based training in how to implement the relevant provisions of International Maritime Organization (IMO)'s code on International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS Code) and SOLAS Chapter XI-2 and related guidance. The workshop was held at the Djibouti Regional Maritime Training Centre, Djibouti, and was aimed at port facility security officers and other port security personnel.

A four-day workshop on how to best design and conduct drills and maritime security exercises, has been held in Kingston, Jamaica (13-16 March), said a press release from International Maritime Organization (IMO). The aim of the event was to equip participants with the necessary skills and knowledge to plan, conduct and assess security drills and exercises in their port facilities. The workshop also included live role-playing sessions with various communication equipment. This helps port facility security officers, managers and designated authority officials to assess the effectiveness of the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS Code) which is designed to enhance the security of ships and port facilities.

Port security officials in Guinea have undergone training on complying with International Maritime Organization (IMO)’s maritime security measures. They are being trained in how to perform their duties in line with SOLAS Chapter XI-2, the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS Code) and related guidance. The event in Conakry, Guinea (20-24 November) is being organised in conjunction with Guinea’s Maritime Authority and the Ministry of Transport. The training involves Port Facility Security Officers (PFSOs) and representatives of the Designated Authority (DA). IMO’s mandate to make trade and travel by sea as safe as possible extends to maritime security.

A five-day workshop on maritime security and The International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code concluded today in Maputo, Mozambique (24 -28 July). The course provided port facility security officers with the necessary knowledge to perform their duties in accordance with the requirements of key IMO maritime security measures*. As a results, participants improved their knowledge and skills of those requirements with a view to train others with similar responsibilities. The workshop included a port visit, various group exercises and interactive activities - providing solid grounding on the oversight roles and responsibilities of the designated authority.

A regional workshop focusing on this year’s World Maritime Day theme - Connecting Ships, Ports and People – has been held in Buenos Aires, Argentina (26-29 June). The event, organized by International Maritime Organization (IMO) in collaboration with the Argentine Maritime Authority (Prefectura Naval Argentina), aimed to promote cooperation between ports and designated authorities of participating countries through an open discussion and by sharing experiences and best practices related to maritime security. The workshop also reviewed the implementation of maritime security in the region and evaluating new or evolving threats. Specific subjects addressed included the establishment of national maritime security committees…

A U.S. Coast Guard International Port Security team completed a bilateral engagement with Malaysian officials in April. This engagement involved sharing best practices and visiting with the Ministry of Infrastructure Marine and Ports Division to observe the implementation of the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code at three port facilities: Northport, Port Klang and two port facilities in Penang; Swettenham Cruise Terminal and North Butterworth Container Terminal.

The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) has announced that it will impose conditions of entry on vessels arriving from the Federal Republic of Nigeria (excluding vessels arriving from certain ports) with effect from June 26, GAC reported in its daily Hot Port News Report. The USCG is authorised to impose conditions of entry on vessels arriving in U.S. waters from ports that it has not found to maintain effective antiterrorism measures. Ports in the Federal Republic of Nigeria were found to not be maintaining effective anti-terrorism measures, with certain exceptions. Beginning June 26, 2014, the below conditions of entry will apply to any vessel that visited a non-excepted Nigerian port in its last five port calls.

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The A&P Group has announced that all its facilities are now certificated under the ISPS Code, which was introduced to bring shiprepair and shipbuilding yards up to the same level of certified security as ports and terminals. Facilities include shipyards at Wallsend, Hebburn, Aberdeen, Teesside, Chatham Dover, Ramsgate, Southampton, Falmouth and Birkenhead. A&P has a history of operating under secure conditions and welcomes this move to formalise a system throughout the Group. To conform to the ISPS Code, the process has involved appointment and training of Port Facility Security officers, submitting and approval of security plans to the authorities and audits of the various sites (yards).

In the run-up to the July 1, 2004 international deadline for implementation of the maritime security measures adopted by IMO in December 2002, a far-reaching and multi-faceted programme of technical assistance by the Organization, aimed at helping Governments strengthen maritime and port security, is in full swing and having a significant impact, particularly in the developing world. IMO launched its global technical co-operation programme on maritime security in January 2002, 11 months before the IMO Diplomatic Conference on Maritime Security adopted amendments to the SOLAS Convention and the related International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS) in December 2002.

In the run-up to the 1 July 2004 international deadline for implementation of the maritime security measures adopted by IMO in December 2002, a far-reaching and multi-faceted programme of technical assistance by the Organization, aimed at helping Governments strengthen maritime and port security, is in full swing and having a significant impact, particularly in the developing world. IMO launched its global technical co-operation programme on maritime security in January 2002, 11 months before the IMO Diplomatic Conference on Maritime Security adopted amendments to the SOLAS Convention and the related International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS) in December 2002.