DHS partners with WCO
WCO Secretary General Kunio Mikuriya
In an effort to further strengthen the global supply chain, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has entered into a partnership with the World Customs Organization (WCO). The two groups will focus on aligning foreign governments, the private sector and international aviation organizations together to focus on security.
The partnership is meant to prevent exploitation of the supply chain by terrorists, protect transportation hubs and vulnerable infrastructure, and improve the disaster reaction time of all parties involved in the supply chain. Parties involved will work toward an international consensus on screening standards. The alliance also will pool its separate resources to help create new security technologies.
"Securing the global supply chain is part and parcel of securing both the lives of people around the world, and the stability of the global economy," DHS' Secretary Janet Napolitano said in a statement. "The United States is committed to working with our international partners and the private sector to keep this powerful engine of commerce, jobs, and prosperity from being attacked or disrupted."
