U.S. Coast Guard launches security assistance program

U.S. Coast Guard launches security assistance program       The U.S. Coast Guard will send teams of experts to foreign ports beginning this summer to help other nations comply with new international maritime security requirements that go into full effect July 1.
   The International Ship and Port Facility Security Code passed by the International Maritime Organization in 2002 requires nations to conduct vulnerability assessments and develop and implement security plans to protect vessels and port facilities from a terrorist attack, or from attempts to smuggle terrorists and weapons through the maritime system into another country.
   Under a new international port security program, Coast Guard security teams will visit about 45 countries each year to evaluate security measures in other ports, and the sea service will station liaison officers around the world to share information on best practices with other governments and the maritime industry. Visiting security teams will help government officials interpret and implement the international code, jointly verify with the host nation the effectiveness of the country’s approval process for port facility and vessel security assessments and plans and provide technical assistance.
   The Coast Guard said it will use information gathered from the visits to determine if additional security measures will be required for vessels arriving in the United States from other countries.
   The Coast Guard has warned that ships from countries that do not comply with the new code and a complementary U.S. law could be boarded at sea prior to entering a U.S. port, have to undergo a time-consuming security inspection at sea or at the dock or even be denied entry into U.S. waters.
   The maritime service said it is working to make sure the international security program works in tandem with the Container Security Initiative, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection program that involves stationing Customs officers in foreign ports to identify high-risk containers and inspect them before the reach U.S. shores.