Global Transshipment Control Enforcement Conference
Sydney, Australia
July 15-18, 2003
Statement of Principles
Officials of twenty-two countries and economic regions1
met in Sydney, Australia from July 15-18, 2003 to discuss appropriate enforcement
policies and practices to make transit, transshipment, and re-export trade
less vulnerable to terrorism and exploitation of legitimate commerce by those
wishing to acquire illicitly weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and their means
of delivery.
The following principles reflect discussion and agreement reached in Sydney
regarding trade controls and the intersecting problems of WMD proliferation
and terrorism. They build upon the "Best Practices for Effective Export, Re-export,
Transit and Transshipment Controls" generated at the Transshipment Enforcement
Conference held November 15-17; 2000 in San Diego, California,2
and are consistent with multilateral arms control and nonproliferation arrangements.
- Participants acknowledged that the proliferation of WMD-related items,
technologies and delivery systems, especially by terrorists and countries
of concern, poses a major security threat to the international community.
As governments improve controls on the export of such goods, state and non-state
actors seeking to acquire illicitly WMD-related items have increased their
efforts to smuggle or divert legitimate commerce through major transshipment
hubs.
- To combat this threat and to reduce illicit traffic through transshipment
hubs in WMD-related goods and technologies or other strategic items, governments
can create effective controls on the transit, transshipment, and re-export
of such items.
- Elements of an effective system of transshipment controls feature a comprehensive
legal and regulatory framework, sound enforcement mechanisms, suitable detection
technologies, outreach programs, information sharing, and coordination between
relevant government agencies.
- A useful means of identifying important and widely sought WMD-related
items and delivery systems is provided under multilateral arms control and
non-proliferation arrangements.
- Effective enforcement of transshipment trade controls requires cooperation
and information sharing among governing authorities at the bilateral, regional
and international levels, and depends on mutual trust and commitment to
combating illicit trade in WMD-related items and delivery systems.
- Effective systems of transshipment trade controls can facilitate legitimate
trade through public-private partnerships. The development and continual
refinement of best practices can reduce costs and help the public and the
private sector make effective controls on transshipment trade a competitive
advantage.
1 The twenty-two
countries or economic regions participating in the Global Transshipment Control
Enforcement Seminar include Australia, Cyprus, Estonia, Fiji, Hong Kong, Indonesia,
Japan, Jordan, Latvia, Lithuania, Malaysia, Malta, New Zealand, Oman, Pakistan,
Panama, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and
the United States of America.
2 The thirteen
were Canada, Cyprus, Germany, Hong Kong Administrative Region, Japan, Jordan,
Malaysia, Malta, the Netherlands, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, the
United Kingdom, and the United States.
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