The Gull - 6-29-2005 at 12:52 PM
U.S., Canada And Mexico To Work Trusted Traveler Program
Top government officials from the United States, Canada and Mexico agreed this week to basic goals of a new Security and Prosperity Partnership
(SPP) announced by the leaders of the three countries in March, among them an integrated trusted traveler program for North America by 2008.
While there is much to be worked out, the promise of an integrated trusted traveler program is to make it easier for low risk business and other
frequent travelers to enter the U.S. and at the same time prevent terrorists from coming in.
"We are really working to several common goals of this program," Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said on Monday.
"We want to confront external threats; we want to prevent and respond to threats within North America; and we want to facilitate the flow of
traffic across our borders."
Already there are programs in place for that such as Free and Secure Trade (FAST), which provides expedited entry into the U.S. for commercial
shippers from Canada and Mexico, and similar programs for business and other travelers into the U.S. from those countries.
Under the North American Trusted Traveler Program, the enrollment processes, background checks and other related procedures for these and other
programs would be combined, eliminating duplication and simplifying procedures for travelers.
"We will devise a single, integrated global enrollment program for North American Trusted Traveler Programs within the next 36 months," the SPP
report says.
Part of the trusted traveler program will include expanding the existing programs for expedited border crossings. For example, by next year, new
secure travel lanes between the U.S. and
Mexico will be constructed and the two countries will work toward a secure cross- border commuter service between El Paso, Texas and Jaurez in Mexico.
The use of biometrics and secure documentation are highlighted as technological means to prevent high-risk travelers from coming to North
America.
"What we want to do moving forward is build a compatible, interoperable set of chips and documents that will allow us essentially to assimilate
all these various programs into a single trusted-traveler program," Chertoff said.
In the area of maritime and aviation security, the report says the countries will "also be working toward comparable standards for hold baggage
and passenger screening, implementing no-fly programs throughout North America, and developing new protocols for air cargo inspection."
The countries also plan to negotiate terrorist screening procedures and shared watchlists.