Posted by irmug

DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano - U.S. Department of Homeland Security - participated to a conference organized by the European Policy Centre in Brussels, on 6 January 2011: "That system (the global supply chain) is a powerful engine of commerce, jobs, and prosperity. Yet a range of increasingly unpredictable and potentially catastrophic threats - from terrorist acts to natural disasters - presents substantial danger to this system. (...) Regardless of where a potential event might occur, the ripple effect of a significant disruption to this critical global system could potentially impact not just the United States, but the international community at large. (...) While we work to make sure that precursor chemicals aren't illegally trafficked, we also need to strengthen the critical infrastructure of the global supply chain across all modes of transport — air, land, and sea — from attack or disruption." TRANSCRIPTION: "...securing the global supply chain is integral to securing both the lives of people around the world, and maintaining the stability of the global economy. With this in mind, our responsibility -- the responsibility of governments and organizations, and companies around the world — is to do all we can to keep the complex global supply system from being exploited or disrupted by terrorists. Today, I am announcing that, in partnership with the World Customs Organization and others, we will help lead an international effort to enlist other nations, international bodies, and the private sector to strengthen the security and resiliency of the global supply chain. Together, we must make progress in three areas. The first is preventing terrorists from exploiting the supply chain to plan and execute attacks. The second is identifying and protecting the most critical elements of the supply chain system - like transportation hubs - from attack or disruption. And the third is bolstering the resiliency of the global supply chain -- so that if a terrorist attack or natural disaster does occur, the supply chain can recover quickly, and any disruption can be minimized. (...) Consider the consequences such an attack could have. Beyond the immediate impact of a potential attack on passengers, transportation workers and other innocent people, the longer-term consequences of a disabled supply chain could quickly snowball and impact economies around the world. One consequence, for example, could be that people across the world would find empty store shelves for food; serious shortages in needed medical supplies; or significant increases in the cost of fuel. Our focus must be on building the capacity of governments -- including our own -- to strengthen the security of the system as a whole, and to focus on the most critical hubs and elements of the supply chain's infrastructure. DHS, in conjunction with other U.S. government agencies, will work to assist our partners in getting the training and technology they need in order to secure the components that are integral to the global network. We are also working with our private sector and international partners to acquire advance information before goods are loaded onto planes, container ships, or trucks- so we can identify and screen items based on risk and based on intelligence. Knowing what the package or shipment contains, where it came from and who has handled it prior to departure will enhance our ability to make sure that high-risk shipments can be detected and inspected before they are on their way. (...) by working together, the world can make great strides on all these fronts I have described and make those strides in 2011. Just as the nations of the world were able to achieve consensus on international aviation security, and make historic progress in securing a vital global system -- so to we can we make global supply chain security stronger, we can make it smarter and more resilient. These are our goals and we must stride together to meet them."