At the request of the Secretariat for Communications and Transportation (SCT) of the Government of Mexico, the CICTE Secretariat organized January 21-24, 2008, a hands-on workshop on port security best practices and implementation of the International Ship and Port Facilities Security Code (ISPS) for Mexican Port Facility Security Officials (PFSOs) in Veracruz, Mexico, in conjunction with the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) and Transport Canada.

Some 40 PFSOs attended the workshop, representing cargo and cruise ship facilities as well as PEMEX installations. Instruction was provided by the USCG, Transport Canada, and the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, as well as a port security expert from the Chilean Navy’s Maritime Security School. Topics covered include: threats and vulnerabilities to port facilities; recognizing persons posing a security risk to ports; conducting risk assessments; physical security techniques to prevent breaches; conducting port facility security plan/port facility audits; and conducting physical security searches. Participants were divided into smaller groups of 10-12 based on their respective responsibilities, and met independently to identify key issues and challenges, and share best practices. These were presented to the full attendees on the final day, and will be consolidated into an executive report which will serve as a guide for next steps to enhance Mexico’s port security in the future.