Speeches & Op-Eds
Remarks at the Closing Ceremony of the National Programme Development Workshop
October 27, 2006
Minister Hanna-Martin, Mrs. Juliet Mallet-Phillip, Mr. Archie Nairn, Mrs. Lorraine Armbrister, Ms. Frances Merrill (course facilitator).
Thank you. I am delighted to be with you here this afternoon. It is a testament to the importance of the subject at hand -- national air travel safety program development -- that the Organization of American States Inter-American Committee against Terrorism (CICTE), the Ministry of Transport and Works, and the United States Transport Security Agency have joined forces to bring this week's workshop together. Having been in The Bahamas for over a year, I have seen first hand the seriousness with which The Government of The Bahamas takes air travel safety and security. We are pleased to support your efforts to strengthen your national aviation security program.
This week's program is one of many similar programs that have taken place in the aftermath of the threat to air travel the world witnessed on September 11, 2001. What a wonderful testament to our close cooperation on security issues this collaboration has been! As Kip Hawley, Assistant Secretary for Homeland Security said recently:
We are bound together by our responsibility to protect passengers, freight and the aviation network in a constantly changing threat environment. By working together to share information, technology, and best practices, we can support each other and enhance the global transportation security network that is critical to the security of every nation.
Following the attacks of September 11th, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) urgently convened to strengthen aviation security by implementing Amendment 10 to Annex 17 of the Chicago Convention, which improved international sharing of threat information, improved cockpit security, expanded Annex 17 to domestic flights, and made numerous other changes to improve security against terrorism.
But that was not enough. In the summer of 2006, Amendment 11 went into effect. This amendment strengthens aviation security in several areas, including: national quality control, screening of unaccompanied bags, aircraft security checks, access control, air cargo security, transfer and transit passenger baggage screening, and other recommendations. These new standards were agreed to by the 189 members of ICAO. I know that workshop participants have spent a great deal of time this week discussing Annex 17.
Security cooperation and the development of capacity around the world are fundamental priorities for the United States. In the world of air travel, everyone’s security is linked. Just as in the case of a computer network, once a harmful virus makes its way past the firewall into the system, it has the potential to cause great havoc. Those of you who work in air travel security here are part of the "firewall" for the air transport system. Developing your knowledge and skills to ensure this system functions at peak capacity is vital to us and to The Bahamas, which depends so critically on air travel links.
In the United States, the Transportation Security Administration spends over $4 billion a year on aviation security. Many millions of these dollars are spent around the world for capacity building. We firmly believe that the best way to address security issues worldwide is to strengthen local capacity. That is why providing more and more Bahamians with the latest thinking and techniques in aviation security is the best way to make The Bahamas, the United States, and the entire Latin American and Caribbean region more secure.
Since the threat environment is always changing, education and training will remain a constant requirement. I know it is difficult job. But I appreciate your dedication and hard work and congratulate you on you accomplishments this week. Thank you.