15 June 2005
U.S., Canadian Officials Discuss Border Security Cooperation
Officials address key issues under Shared Border Accord
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Robert C. Bonner and Canada Border Services Agency President Alain Jolicoeur addressed key issues and reviewed progress under the U.S.-Canada Shared Border Accord at a June 15 meeting in Canada.
The North American officials convened in Toronto for the quarterly meeting of the U.S.-Canada Shared Border Accord Coordination Committee meeting, according to a June 15 CBP press release. The CBP said the meeting focused on the World Customs Organization Framework of Standards, the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, and expedited travel programs such as the Free and Secure Trade program, among other topics.
Following is the text of the CBP press release:
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U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION
Washington, D.C.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 15, 2005
U.S. and Canada Work Toward Safe and Secure Borders
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Robert C. Bonner and Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) President Alain Jolicoeur met today in Toronto, Canada for the U.S.-Canada Shared Border Accord Coordination Committee meeting. These quarterly meetings allow the two border agencies to address key issues and review progress under the U.S.-Canada Shared Border Accord, including border security and facilitation.
"This is a critical time in our Nation's histories. Both CBP and CBSA share the important task of protecting our mutual border from potential terrorists, criminals and others who would attempt to undermine the laws we have sworn to defend," said Commissioner Bonner. "Since the terrorist attacks of 9/11, we recognized that to secure our shared border, we must work together and these meetings give us a platform to build upon, planning for the future of border security."
Topics discussed during the meeting included: the World Customs Organization Framework of Standards that will re-define the security of global trade; the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative that will require U.S., Canada, Mexico, and citizens of Bermuda to have a passport or other approved document for entry into the U.S. by January 2008; the Border Measurement and Harmonization of Standards to reduce wait times at the Detroit-Windsor corridor by 25 percent; and, expedited travel programs such as the Free and Secure Trade (FAST) program, and the continued expansion of NEXUS in the air, highway and marine environments.
"Canada and the United States are leading the way in creating smart borders of the future that protect trade and travelers without stifling or injuring our economies," Commissioner Bonner concluded. "I look forward to our continued partnership through the Shared Border Accord and other cross-border working groups that will better protect our common border."
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(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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