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Sixty governments last week agreed in principle to a new worldwide maritime
security system designed to reduce the liner shipping industry's exposure to
terrorist attack.
Signatories to the Proliferation Security Initiative are expected to
recommend the global introduction of the US- inspired advanced cargo
declaration regime as a way to better surveying of maritime boxes which may
contain weapons of mass destruction.
The PSI forum, consisting of government defence experts and set up by the US
last year, met in Oslo last week after consulting liner shipping at a
two-day seminar in Copenhagen.
The Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) is a global initiative aimed at
stopping shipments of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), their delivery
systems, and related materials worldwide, announced by President Bush May
31, 2003.
It stems from the National Strategy to Combat Weapons of Mass Destruction
issued in December 2002.
That Strategy recognizes the need for more robust tools to defeat the
proliferation of WMD around the world, and specifically identifies
interdiction as an area where greater focus will be placed.
The goal of PSI is to create a more dynamic, creative, and proactive
approach to preventing proliferation to or from nation states and non-state
actors of proliferation concern.
Actions will be taken in support of the PSI consistent with national legal
authorities and relevant international law and frameworks.
The PSI seeks to use existing authorities -- national and international --
to defeat proliferation.
This set of principles identifies specific steps for effectively
interdicting WMD shipments and preventing proliferation facilitators from
engaging in this deadly trade. Participation in the PSI is voluntary
PSI partners encourage all states to publicly support the PSI, and to take
the steps outlined in the principles, including steps in support of PSI
operational activities.
In Asia, only Japan and Singapore have signed the PSI.
Meanwhile, the Washington-based World Shipping Council, representing the
liner shipping industry while expressing its support to the objectives of
the PSI initiative urged participating governments to exercise caution when
interdicting vessels because of certain limitation of inspecting containers
at sea and also to observe the legal and liability regimes.
Stating that liability issues that could arise from an at-sea PSI container
interdiction, Koch said there would be added costs, damages, and other
liability issues that could arise from an at-sea container detention and
interdiction, would in all likelihood be much greater than those arising
from a cooperative interdiction in an appropriate port. |
