Full text of G-8 action plan on transport security

Japan Policy & Politics, July 1, 2002

CALGARY, Canada, June 26 Kyodo

The following is the full text of a cooperative action plan on transport security agreed upon at the Group of Eight (G-8) summit Wednesday in the Canadian mountain resort of Kananaskis.

Cooperative G8 Action on Transport Security

The terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001 illustrated the critical yet fragile nature of the international transport system. For the global economy to flourish, this system must continue to provide safe, secure, efficient and reliable services to travelers and customers in all parts of the world.

We have therefore agreed on a set of cooperative actions to promote greater security of land, sea and air transport while facilitating the cost-effective and efficient flow of people, cargo, and vehicles for legitimate economic and social purposes.

(People)

The G8 will:

-- implement as expeditiously as possible a common global standard based on UN EDIFACT for the collection and transmission of advance passenger information (API).

-- work towards granting reciprocal bilateral access, on a voluntary basis, to departure and transit lounges, including timely implementation of a pilot project.

-- work towards agreement by October 2002 on minimum standards for issuance of travel and identity documents for adoption at ICAO, and by June 2003 on minimum standards for issuance of seafarers' identity documents for adoption at the ILO.

-- work towards developing recommendations on minimum standards for the application of biometrics in procedures and documents by the spring of 2003, with a view to forwarding them to standards organizations.

-- improve procedures and practices for sharing data on lost or stolen passports and denied entries, with a practical exercise by September 2002.

(Container Security)

-- recognizing the urgency of securing global trade, work expeditiously, in cooperation with relevant international organizations, to develop and implement an improved global container security regime to identify and examine high-risk containers and ensure their in-transit integrity.

-- develop, in collaboration with interested non-G8 countries, pilot projects that model an integrated container security regime.

-- implement expeditiously, by 2005 wherever possible, common standards for electronic customs reporting, and work in the WCO to encourage the implementation of the same common standards by non-G8 countries.

-- begin work expeditiously within the G8 and the WCO to require advance electronic information pertaining to containers, including their location and transit, as early as possible in the trade chain.

(Aviation Security)

-- accelerate implementation of standards for reinforced flight deck doors for all G8 passenger aircraft, by April 2003 wherever possible.

-- support in ICAO the rapid implementation of mandatory aviation security audits of all ICAO contracting states.

-- enhance cooperation, in a spirit of capacity-building assistance, on aviation security with other countries. The G8 will also share their information and assessments about security vulnerabilities.

-- encourage non-G8 countries to make, as we have done, proportionate contributions to the ICAO AVSEC mechanism, and encourage MDBs to consider requests to assist developing countries in this area.

(Maritime Security)

-- support, in the IMO, amendment of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) to accelerate the date of the installation of automatic identification systems (AIS) on certain ships to December 2004.

-- support, in the IMO, amendment of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) to require mandatory ship security plans and ship security officers on board ships by July 2004.

-- support, in the IMO, amendment of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) to require mandatory port facility security plans and port facility security assessments for relevant ports serving ships engaged on international voyages by July 2004.

(Land Transportation)

-- develop, in the UN and other relevant international organizations, an effective and proportionate security regime for the overland transportation and distribution of hazardous cargoes which present potentially significant security risks, with initial consultations this year.

(Implementation)

In order to ensure timely implementation of this initiative, we will review progress every six months, providing direction as required to G8 experts. G8 experts will pursue these priorities and will promote policy coherence and coordination in all relevant international organizations (ICAO, IMO, WCO, ILO), in partnership with industry.