PLATINUM
ASSOCIATE MEMBER ADVISORY COUNCIL
SET SAIL ON CARNIVAL’S “IMAGINATION
The
island of Jamaica was the setting for a two-day workshop focused on the
implementation of new international security requirements for cruise
ship ports. The workshop, sponsored by the American Association of Port
Authorities (AAPA), the International Council of Cruise Lines (ICCL)
and the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) was held June 25-27,
2003 at the Grand Lido Resort in Negril.
The 100 plus participants, consisting of representatives from 24 destinations
including the Bahamas, the Caribbean, Canada, Mexico, Central and South
America, were given an in-depth overview of the International Ship and
Port Facility Security Code (ISPS) required by the International Maritime
Organization (IMO). The ISPS Code provides standardized security measures
that will be required at all ports effective July 2004, in response to
stringent security levels imposed following the tragic events of September
11, 2001.
The measures are designed to strengthen maritime security and prevent
and suppress acts of terrorism against shipping. The code ensures the
security of ships and port facilities and provides a standardized, consistent
framework for evaluating risk, enabling governments to offset changes
in threat with changes in vulnerability for ships and port facilities.
The workshop covered a variety of critical concerns including port security
assessment plans and ship/port interface issues. Topics touched on a
number of important areas detailing the proper training needed to ensure
that requirements are met and to form the international framework by
which ships and port facilities can work together to detect and deter
acts, which threaten security.
The Prime Minister of Jamaica, the Honorable P.J. Patterson delivered
the keynote address, followed by an impressive roster of guest speakers
who shared their expertise in the field of Security. The sessions consisted
of presentations by the panelists along with an interactive open forum,
including question and answer periods and training exercises.
The next step will be for destinations to analyze their own implementation
of the codes and discuss problems and accomplishments at the FCCA Caribbean
Cruise Conference and Trade Show taking place in St. Maarten, October
7-10, 2003.
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