Readout of Secretary Napolitano's Visit to Brussels

[The Patriot]

Readout of Secretary Napolitano's Visit to Brussels

06-23-2011 04:00 AM

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
Contact: 202-282-8010

BRUSSELS—Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano today visited Brussels to meet with her counterparts, sign a joint statement on global supply chain security cooperation between the United States and European Union, and deliver remarks at the World Customs Organization (WCO) Council session reaffirming the Obama administration’s commitment to working collaboratively with the international community to ensure the safety and resilience of the global supply chain.

“Threats to the global supply chain transcend national borders and affect the security and economic prosperity of the entire international community,” said Secretary Napolitano. “We are committed to continuing to work with our international partners to achieve our shared goal of increased security, efficiency and resiliency for the global supply chain.”

While in Brussels, Secretary Napolitano joined European Commission Vice President for Transport Siim Kallas, European Commissioner for Home Affairs Cecilia Malmström, and European Commissioner for Taxation and Customs Union, Audit and Anti-Fraud Algirdas Semeta to sign a joint statement*(PDF, 6 pages - 323 KB) on global supply chain security cooperation. The statement reaffirms the shared commitment of the United States and European Union to enhance the security and resilience of the supply chain by preventing the unlawful transport of dangerous and illicit material and protecting critical elements of the supply chain system from attacks and disruptions while facilitating and expediting the flow of legitimate international trade through a multilayered risk-based approach to security.

Secretary Napolitano also joined World Customs Organization (WCO) Secretary General Kunio Mikuriya to underscore their shared commitment to partnering on initiatives such as Program Global Shield —which brings together the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, Interpol, and more than 70 participating nations in an unprecedented law enforcement effort aimed at combating the illicit cross-border diversion and trafficking of explosive precursor chemicals

Following her remarks to the WCO Council, Secretary Napolitano was joined by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Alan Bersin, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director John Morton and National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD) Under Secretary Rand Beers to participate in an event hosted by the Transatlantic Policy Network, bringing together industry, policy makers and shapers, and legislators to discuss the importance of a secure and resilient supply chain to transatlantic and global security.

Earlier this week, Secretary Napolitano traveled to London she met with international counterparts to discuss global collaboration to ensure the security and resilience of the global supply chain against possible threats and disruptions, and the Netherlands where she toured operations at Schiphol Airport and the Port of Rotterdam and met with customs, maritime, airline, shipping and security leaders to discuss the importance of a resilient and secure global supply chain.

For more information, visit www.dhs.gov.

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