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 Home > News & Policies > January 2002

For Immediate Release
Office of Homeland Security
January 7, 2002

Specifics of Secure and Smart Border Action Plan

ACTION PLAN FOR CREATING A SECURE AND SMART BORDER
THE SECURE FLOW OF PEOPLE

1) Biometric identifiers
Jointly develop on an urgent basis common biometric identifiers in documentation such as permanent resident cards, NEXUS, and other travel documents to ensure greater security.

2) Permanent Resident Cards
Develop and deploy a secure card for permanent residents which includes a biometric identifier.

3) Single Alternative Inspection System
Resume NEXUS pilot project, with appropriate security measures, for two-way movement of pre-approved travelers at Sarnia-Port Huron, complete pilot project evaluation and expand a single program to other areas along the land border. Discuss expansion to air travel.

4) Refugee/Asylum Processing
Review refugee/asylum practices and procedures to ensure that applicants are thoroughly screened for security risks and take necessary steps to share information on refugee and asylum claimants.

5) Handling of Refugee/Asylum Claims
Negotiate a safe third-country agreement to enhance the handling of refugee claims.

6) Visa Policy Coordination
Initiate joint review of respective visa waiver lists and share look-out lists at visa issuing offices.

7) Air Preclearance
Finalize plans/authority necessary to implement the Preclearance Agreement signed in January 2001. Resume intransit preclearance at Vancouver and expand to other airports per Annex I of the Agreement.

8) Advance Passenger Information / Passenger Name Record
Share Advance Passenger Information and agreed-to Passenger Name Records on flights between Canada and the United States, including in-transit flights. Explore means to identify risks posed by passengers on international flights arriving in each other's territory.

9) Joint Passenger Analysis Units
Establish joint units at key international airports in Canada and the United States.

10) Ferry Terminals
Review customs and immigration presence and practices at international ferry terminals.

11) Compatible Immigration Databases
Develop jointly an automated database, such as Canada's Support System for Intelligence, as a platform for information exchange, and enhance sharing of intelligence and trend analysis.

12) Immigration Officers Overseas
Increase number of Canadian and US immigration officers at airports overseas and enhance joint training of airline personnel.

13) International Cooperation
Undertake technical assistance to source and transit countries.

THE SECURE FLOW OF GOODS

14) Harmonized Commercial Processing
Establish complementary systems for commercial processing, including audit-based programs and partnerships with industry to increase security. Explore the merits of a common program.

15) Clearance away from the border
Develop an integrated approach to improve security and facilitate trade through away-from-the-border processing for truck/rail cargo (and crews), including inland preclearance/post-clearance, international zones and pre-processing centers at the border, and maritime port intransit preclearance.

16) Joint facilities
Establish criteria, under current legislation and regulations, for the creation of small, remote joint border facilities. Examine the legal and operational issues associated with the establishment of international zones and joint facilities, including armed protection or the arming of law enforcement officers in such zones and facilities.

17) Customs Data
Sign the Agreement on Sharing Data Related to Customs Fraud, exchange agreed upon customs data pursuant to NAFTA, and discuss what additional commercial and trade data should be shared for national security purposes.

18) Intransit Container Targeting at Seaports
Jointly target marine intransit containers arriving in Canada/US by exchanging information and analysts. Work in partnership with the industry to develop advance electronic commercial manifest data for marine containers arriving from overseas.

SECURE INFRASTRUCTURE

19) Infrastructure improvements
Work to secure resources for joint and coordinated physical and technological improvements to key border points and trade corridors aimed at overcoming traffic management and growth challenges, including dedicated lanes and border modeling exercises.

20) Intelligent Transportation Systems
Deploy interoperable technologies in support of other initiatives to facilitate the secure movement of goods and people, such as transponder applications and electronic container seals.

21) Critical Infrastructure Protection
Conduct binational threat assessments on trans-border infrastructure and identify necessary additional protection measures, and initiate assessments for transportation networks and other critical infrastructure.

22) Aviation security
Finalize Federal Aviation Administration-Transport Canada agreement on comparability/equivalence of security and training standards.

COORDINATION AND INFORMATION SHARING IN THE ENFORCEMENT OF THESE OBJECTIVES

23) Integrated Border and Marine Enforcement Teams
Expand IBET/IMET to other areas of the border and enhance communication and coordination.

24) Joint Enforcement Coordination
Works toward ensuring comprehensive and permanent coordination of law enforcement, anti-terrorism efforts and information sharing, such as by strengthening the Cross-Border Crime Forum and reinvigorating Project Northstar.

25) Integrated Intelligence
Establish joint teams to analyze and disseminate information and intelligence, and produce threat and intelligence assessments. Initiate discussions regarding a Canadian presence on the U.S. Foreign Terrorist Tracking Task Force.

26) Fingerprints
Implement the Memorandum of Understanding to supply equipment and training that will enable the RCMP to access FBI fingerprint data directly via real?time electronic link.

27) Removal of deportees
Address legal and operational challenges to joint removals, and coordinate initiatives to encourage uncooperative countries to accept their nationals.

28) Counter-Terrorism Legislation
Bring into force legislation on terrorism, including measures for the designation of terrorist organizations.

29) Freezing of terrorist assets
Exchange advance information on designated individuals and organizations in a timely manner.

30) Joint Training and Exercises
Increase dialogue and commitment for the training and exercise programs needed to implement the joint response to terrorism guidelines. Joint counter-terrorism training and exercises are essential to building and sustaining effective efforts to combat terrorism and to build public confidence.

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