Dear all,
though a news on surveillance of goods rather than persons it might be of
interest for the list.
Regards, Eric
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
New York Times
June 24, 2005
Global Group Backs Antiterror Customs Standards
By ERIC LIPTON
WASHINGTON, June 23 - The World Customs Organization voted Thursday in
Brussels to endorse comprehensive standards intended to fight terrorism, a
step that United States officials predict will revolutionize the way goods
are tracked as they move around the globe. More than 50 nations immediately
agreed to put the standards into effect.
Under the standards, cargo containers will at times be inspected by customs
officials as they leave a port, instead of at their destination. In
addition, private importers will get preferred customs handling in return
for tightening security to prevent terrorists from using their containers to
transport banned weapons.
The vote came at a meeting of the group, an association of 166 leaders of
customs departments worldwide that collectively handle about 98 percent of
international trade. Its members endorsed a set of nonbinding standards, and
the group hopes each nation will take on the expense of putting them in
place, said Michel Danet, its secretary general.
The countries that made immediate commitments to honor the standards include
the United States, Mexico, Canada, Japan, China and Brazil, said Robert C.
Bonner, commissioner of the United States Customs and Border Protection
agency, who helped draft the plans.
There are two major components. Governments worldwide will require advanced
electronic notice of goods leaving or headed to their shores, as well as of
their origin, route of travel and destination. Customs officials from the
importing country, and perhaps the exporting nations, will analyze the
information.
If a container is designated high risk, the importing nation can ask the
originating country to inspect the container with a radiation detector and
an X-ray-like scanning device.
In return for faster clearance of goods at ports around the world, private
importers and shippers would agree to take several steps, including setting
up security cameras and badge-based access control systems at warehouses,
and doing background screening on employees.
The United States, through similar programs it started in the last few
years, already has agreements with 20 nations, as well as Hong Kong, and
about 7,000 importers and shippers, covering goods headed to the country.
But even the modest United States effort has encountered major start-up
problems, including questions by government auditors about how many
high-risk containers headed to the United States are actually inspected
before leaving their point of origin and if the private companies are really
enhancing security, or simply signing up for the program to get faster
clearance.
|