OECD Working Group Discuss Port Security

The Maritime Administration (MARAD) announced its participation in the Ad-Hoc Working Group on Security for the Maritime Transportation Committee (MTC) at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in Paris. Government and industry leaders will be open and encourage an international dialogue on this important matter. “We must participate in these international forums because port security problems require international solutions. It is vital that we work with other countries and international agencies worldwide, as well as with all the modes within the Department of Transportation and other agencies in the U.S. government.” This international initiative complements and augments the extensive domestic work being done in port security, such as the Port Security Grant Program, which is being administered by MARAD and the U.S. Coast guard on behalf of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Maritime Administrator William G. Schubert says Carlton will apply a balanced approach, one that recognizes the critical need for secure and reliable port operations across the globe, because maritime transportation is the dominant component of our international trade infrastructure, carrying over 95 percent of the volume of U.S. overseas foreign trade.” The meeting will be a workshop, including not only government officials but also members of the shipping industry, and the agenda reflects a relatively “zero-based” approach to defining the future work of the MTC. Carlton said, “This workshop will not duplicate the work of other international governments or organizations. We will not, for example, list or discuss the number of existing port security measures because other working groups have already done that. The goal of this meeting is to assess the economic and political impact of security measures on international trade and economic growth. We also hope to accelerate and reinforce the work the International Maritime Organization (IMO) accomplished in February.”