Mexico Conducts Port Security Workshop

The second in a planned series of interactive workshops to prepare countries for a wide range of potential threats and security situations has been held, in Veracruz, Mexico (26-27 February).

The interactive Port Facility Security/Port Security Officer Tabletop Exercise was run by International Maritime Organization (IMO) in collaboration with the Organization of American States Inter American Committee Against Terrorism (OAS-CICTE), following a successful pilot in Panama 2018.

According to a press note from the UN body, participants in Mexico took part in a simulation exercise, designed to allow port facility security officers to develop their decision making skills in different situations, ranging from the simple to more complex challenges that require intervention and coordination with other departments or management of their respective international port or ports with the respective authorities.

The aim is to roll out this workshop in other Member States of the OAS in the future, through a collaboration between CICTE and Inter-American Committee on Ports (CIP) of the OAS, and IMO.

Ahead of the workshop, high level representatives of the relevant agencies with key roles in maritime and port security in Mexico met in Mexico City, Mexico (21 February) to discuss the need for better coordination and communication and to ensure the implementation of maritime and port security measures.  

Representatives of a number of different government agencies - including Customs, Environment, Navy, Ministry of Justice, Defence, Police, Transport -  explained their role on maritime security and how capabilities could be strengthened by working together. During the meeting, OAS-CICTE briefed the authorities on their visits to the Mexican ports of Ensenada, Mazatlan and Progreso.