The CICTE Secretariat organized the third in the series of Sub-regional Workshops on Best Practices in Port Security and Implementation of the ISPS Code from March 30 to April 2 in Nassau, The Bahamas, in collaboration with the Government of The Bahamas and with the support of Transport Canada and the U.S. Coast Guard, among others.

Over 50 fifty participants attended the workshop, representing seven Caribbean OAS Member States (Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Belize, Dominica, Haiti, Jamaica and St. Kitts and Nevis), as well as numerous private sector entities. Member State representatives consisted of Port Facility Security Officers (PFSOs), Captains of the Port, customs officials, and representatives of government agencies and ministries responsible for maritime security at a national level.

The over-arching objective of the workshop was to strengthen the capacity of the participating States to effectively comply with the security obligations established by the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code and other international maritime security standards. Key themes discussed included risk assessment and management, access controls, cruise ship security, container security, reviewing and revising existing port facility security plans, security audits, and public-private partnerships.

The workshop format facilitated the sharing of perspectives, knowledge and information among the participants with the intention of promoting increased communication and cooperation among those with a common responsibility for promoting maritime security in the Caribbean region. Presentations by each national delegation as well as a range of experts on key aspects of maritime security and ISPS implementation provided a substantive foundation for subsequent discussions and working group sessions. Particular focus was given to identifying common challenges faced and best practices for addressing these. Presentations and break-out discussions were supplemented with a visit to a port facility to conduct a mock port facility security audit and a hands-on demonstration of container search techniques.

The next sub-regional workshop in the series is tentatively planned for July 2009 for the other seven Caribbean OAS Member States.