A warm welcome to the 3rd Maritime Security Seminar. I would especially like to extend our greetings to Mr Frank Wall for his participation in today's seminar. Frank was Chairman of the Committee at the 2002 Diplomatic Conference held at the IMO when the ISPS Code was adopted. He played a great part in ensuring the requirements of the ISPS Code met the expectations of the 108 Contracting Governments.
We are also pleased to have with us officers from the United States Coast
Guard. Over the past week, they have held discussions with the MPA and other
Government agencies. They have made on-site visits to a number of our major port facilities like PSA, Jurong Port, Shell Eastern Petroleum and Sembawang Shipyard. They also observed the first joint maritime security exercise conducted by the MPA, government agencies, NOL and PSA Terminals last week.
These officers are here because Singapore had agreed to be the first country to participate in the USCG's International Port Security (IPS) Programme. As we understand it, the objective of this programme is for the US to engage in bilateral and multilateral discussions with trading nations around the world to exchange information and share best practices to align port security programmes. It serves to reinforce the implementation of the IMO's ISPS code by combining multinational best practices with international requirements to ensure a comprehensive and consistent approach to maritime security.
Our participation in this programme emphasises our commitment to working at the bilateral and multilateral levels to promote and encourage the effective and timely enforcement of the ISPS Code. It underscores the importance and the extent of the effort Singapore is prepared to invest on the issue of maritime security. Ensuring that Singapore remains a safe and secure port requires a close working partnership among all stakeholders, be they government agencies or private organisations. I am proud that we have this partnership in place and I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their contributions thus far. It is only through such close cooperation that Singapore can achieve a judicious balance between security enhancement and trade facilitation.
For the rest of my time with you, I would like to share some quick thoughts on the 3Rs associated with maritime security. They are Responsibility, Risk and
Reward.
Maritime security is now an integral part of shipboard and port facility
operations. Singapore is a major global hub port and a major flag State. It is our
responsibility to ensure that our port which is connected to more than 600 ports in more than 120 countries around the world and which is visited by some 140,000 vessels yearly is a strong and secure hub. Likewise, we have more than 1000 ships which trade internationally and it is the joint responsibility of owners, operators, classification societies and inspectors from the flag State to ensure that these ships comply fully with international regulations. I am heartened by the response from all of you in the community. You have shown that you take our security responsibility seriously. All our port facilities which are required to comply with the ISPS code have done so. More than 90% of the ships have had their plans approved and more than 60% have been issued their certificates. I can assure you that we are tracking very closely the ships and owners who have yet to do so. Singapore will not and cannot be the weak link in the security chain.
Let me move on to talk about risks. The first risk is that we do not continue to invest in the effort needed to maintain the high standards that we expect and require. It is said that failure can be the first step toward success. I put it to you that equally so, success can be the first step toward failure. We cannot allow complacency to set in. Neither can we allow ourselves to eventually be good only on paper. Effective security requires the sustained and integrated efforts of each and everyone. Hence our intent to exercise regularly at the component level and periodically at the systems level, like we did last week, eventually progressing from scripted to unscripted exercises, to ensure a level of superior readiness.
Another risk we have identified is that in a major port like ours, small harbour craft are vulnerable to being exploited. As a major port, we see significant interactions between ocean going vessels and small harbour craft providing services and supplies in our port waters. Therefore, we have decided that we need to go beyond the ISPS code and have simple, yet effective measures that our harbour craft can adhere to. The ISPS code is a baseline covering the ocean-going ships. As a responsible port state, we must minimise the opportunities and avenues available to a would-be terrorist and there is a need to prevent small craft from being used as a conduit to attack bigger ships and port facilities.
Finally reward. The most obvious reward is a safer and more secure home.
The US had introduced a slew of initiatives like CSI, the 24-hour manifest
requirement, CT-PAT, PSI and had asked for international collaboration in security efforts because they see these as their second line of defence. We introduce these measures, a number of them here in Singapore, because it is our first line of defence. We are doing it for ourselves, for fellow Singaporeans and all who call this place home.
In time to come, other rewards will also become more evident. I believe that security can be a competitive advantage. For our port, our bunker suppliers and other service providers, our shipyards and even our ships. Ships flying the Singapore flag will find themselves with more convenient access to foreign ports, subject to fewer inspections and delays. Our ships had recently started to experience this because we had qualified for the USCG Qualship 21 standards. In due course, compliance and strict enforcement of security guidelines can bring corresponding benefits to our ships worldwide.
We have one month before the ISPS comes into force on 1 Jul. Yet, as the IMO Secretary-General, Mr E Mitropoulos observed when he was here last week, the terrorist is not going to abide by a deadline that we wish to impose on him. Let us therefore redouble our efforts to ensure that we are fully ready, each and every day.
Thank you.
