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Contact:
Christopher Satney
Wednesday, October 17, 2007 – Countries within the Americas are
considering the risk issues of an increase in container transportation within
the hemisphere.
While the increase is good for global trade, authorities want to ensure that the
activities of drug dealers and terrorists are not facilitated through the
process. The two-day security focused activity, being held in Saint Lucia, will
strengthen the capacity of customs agencies within the hemisphere in detecting
irregular or illegal activities.
“The fact that elements within the society may also seek to use containers for
the purpose of circumventing the law by importing illegal and restricted goods
in those same containers across borders, also remain a challenge for customs
administrations particularly at a time when the issue of counterfeit and
terrorism are now considered as major threats,” said Prime Minister Honourable
Stephenson King as he addressed the opening of the “Container Control and
Risk Management Seminar” at the Rex St. Lucian on Tuesday 16th October 2007.
With customs agencies being called upon to play a more meaningful role in the
trading of goods, significant challenges have been brought to the fore,
especially for smaller countries within the hemisphere. Representative of the
Organisation of American States OAS Paul Spencer feels the best defence is a
coordinated approach by OAS member countries in overcoming those challenges.
“It is one whose regional nature emphasises the philosophy of the OAS that
common problems must be resolved through a collaborative effort of countries and
partners. We now live in an age of heightened security requiring a new security
paradigm. This new paradigm, multi-dimensional security, owes its general
acceptance within the OAS to the efforts of the CARICOM member States,” the told
the gathering of OAS member representatives.
The exercise was supported by the Caribbean Customs Law Enforcement Council (CCLEC)
and the French based Inter-Department Drug Control Training Centre (CIFAD).
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