Mexico and UNODC launch Container Control Programme in Mexican ports
In an effort to increase security at Mexican ports and strengthen international cooperation against organized crime, the Government of Mexico, UNODC and the U.S. Embassy have launched the Container Control Programme (CCP) in the port of Manzanillo, according to Gobierno de México.
The CCP is a global UNODC-WCO program established in 2004 that currently operates in 74 countries, including such countries as Colombia, Kenya, Panama and Thailand. Mexico joins this global network to promote legal trade and minimize the use of containers for the trafficking of drugs, precursor chemicals, weapons, wildlife, and counterfeit goods.
About 90% of all global trade is conducted via maritime containers, of which more than 500 million are shipped yearly in the trade supply chain and, of this amount, less than 2% are inspected. The volume of containers traveling the seas from country to country and continent to continent makes them important targets for those trading in illicit goods.
Implementation of this program is a pioneering part of the Mexico-U.S. Bicentennial Framework for Security, Public Health and Safe Communities. It recognizes the importance of strengthening supervision and coordination in seaports to address current security challenges. In addition to the financial resources provided by the Mexican government, support has also been received from the U.S. government, through the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL).
The Secretary of Foreign Affairs of Mexico, Alicia Bárcena, said that Mexico is joining 74 countries that, through the Container Control Programme, seek more assertive policies and alliances in order to find and inspect containers with the aim of interrupting the trafficking of drugs, weapons and illicit products. The CCP is a magnificent example of how multilateralism and the Bicentennial Framework with the United States strengthen security cooperation and respond effectively to national, regional, and global problems.
The Container Control Programme will begin in the port of Manzanillo and expand to include four additional ports: Ensenada and Lázaro Cárdenas on the Pacific coast, and Altamira and Veracruz on the Atlantic coast.
