CARICOM-SAJ port security consult

An assessment team related to a CARICOM-United Nations initiative looking at improving port security in the region met recently with members of the Shipping Association of Jamaica's Managing Committee and other industry stakeholders to get a better understanding of related risks and challenges for Jamaican companies and organisations involved in the regional and global supply chain.

The primary interest of this exercise was to assess terrorism-related risks within the context of maritime trade, as well as to gain greater awareness of security challenges to freight trade and attendant vulnerabilities related to the supply-chain domain. The core objective is to improve the ability of local and regional authorities to prevent trade in weaponised or non-weaponised CBRN materials or chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear materials that can cause great harm and pose significant threats in the hands of terrorists. A key aim is to improve trade security and surveillance capacity, while also enhancing local and regional economic competitiveness.

In addition to discussing current challenges relating to port security in Jamaica, the assessment team shared updates on the following topics: (a) findings from their December 2015 mission to Kingston; (b) illicit trade and its impact on local, regional, and global trade; (c) improving freight trade processes and meeting current and future capacity needs in that regard; (d) how expanding trade capacity can also support the reduction of illicit trade; and (e) identifying additional domestic stakeholders for follow-up discussions.