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NEWS RELEASES

December 12, 2001 (10:30 a.m. EST) No. 162

CANADA AND THE UNITED STATES SIGN SMART BORDER DECLARATION

John Manley, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Chairman of the Ad Hoc Cabinet Committee on Public Security and Anti-Terrorism, and Governor Tom Ridge, Director of the Office of Homeland Security in the United States, today signed a declaration for the creation of a Smart Border for the 21st century between the United States and Canada.

The Smart Border Declaration outlines the 30-point Action Plan, based on four pillars, to collaborate in identifying and addressing security risks while efficiently and effectively expediting the legitimate flow of people and goods back and forth across the Canada-U.S. border. The Declaration includes 21 new objectives and builds on nine other recent Canada-U.S. initiatives set out in the eight-point, December 3 Joint Statement of Cooperation on Border Security and Regional Migration Issues and in the RCMP-FBI agreement to improve the exchange of fingerprint data of the same date.

"We have agreed to an aggressive action plan that will allow the safest, most efficient passage of people and goods between our two countries, as part of our ongoing commitment to the creation of a Smart Border," said Minister Manley. "This action plan will enhance the technology, coordination and information sharing that are essential to safeguard our mutual security and strengthen cross-border commerce for the world's largest binational trading relationship."

"On behalf of President Bush, I was pleased to visit Canada to meet with Minister Manley and senior Canadian officials to discuss how to build a smart and secure border that allows the free flow of people and goods between our two countries. We look forward to working together to achieve real-time real solutions as quickly as possible," said Governor Ridge.

The new objectives contained in the Secure and Smart Border Action Plan are as follows:

Secure Flow of People:

• develop and deploy a secure card for permanent residents;

• resume, evaluate and expand the NEXUS pilot project at the Sarnia-Port Huron border point and discuss its expansion to air travel;

• review practices and procedures for the screening of refugee/asylum claimants;

• implement the Canada-U.S. Pre-clearance Agreement, resume in-transit pre-clearance at Vancouver and expand it to other airports;

• share Advance Passenger Information and agreed-to Passenger Name Records for flights in transit and between Canada and the U.S.;

• review customs and immigration presence and practices at international ferry terminals;

• develop jointly an automated immigration database; and

• provide international technical assistance.

Secure Flow of Goods:

• establish complementary systems for commercial processing, including audit-based programs;

• develop an integrated approach for processing truck, rail and marine cargo away from the border;

• establish criteria for the creation of small, remote joint border facilities;

• share customs data; and

• exchange information and analysts to target marine in-transit containers.

Secure Infrastructure:

• work to secure resources for joint and coordinated physical and technological improvements to border and trade corridor infrastructure;

• deploy interoperable technologies for the secure movement of goods and people;

• assess threats and protect transborder transportation and other critical infrastructure; and

• finalize agreement on comparable/equivalent aviation security and training standards.

Coordination and Information Sharing:

• address legal and operational challenges to joint removals of deportees;

• bring into force legislation on terrorism;

• exchange advance information on individuals and organizations designated as engaging in terrorist fundraising; and

• increase dialogue and commitment to joint counterterrorism training and exercises.

Minister Manley and Governor Ridge agreed to meet again early in the new year. They will review the critical paths that they have asked officials to develop for realizing each of the objectives set out in the Action Plan. The two governments are committed to building on this Action Plan by identifying and implementing measures that can be taken to secure a Smart Border. Minister Manley and Governor Ridge will consult regularly on this plan in order to achieve the goals outlined as quickly as possible. These measures are regarded by both governments as matters of the highest priority.

The Declaration, Action Plan and a backgrounder can be found on the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Web site at:

http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/anti-terrorism/can-us-border-e.asp

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