Border Control Technologies:
General Trends & Pa-erns of Development
AntiAtlas Conference, Aix-en-Provence, 2 October, 2013
Disclaimer: All views expressed in this presenta5on are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be a<ributed to, the World Customs
Organiza5on or its Members.
Mariya Polner Research and Strategies Unit World Customs Organization
What is Customs?
A short history of Customs
• IV century BC -‐ Indian Arthashastra, Chapter XXXV: the use of ‘spies’ to detect tax evasion
• Roman Empire – export controls in the Danube basin (gold and
spices) • XVIII century – records on various techniques of contraband of tea
and spirits into the UK ports
Original – at Customs & Tax Museum in Rotterdam
XIX century
XX-‐XXI century
Picture 2: © Australian Customs Picture 3: Credit Reuters/George Frey Picture 4: © New Zealand Customs
What do we know about border challenges? • PoliNcal transformaNons (‘internalisaNon’ and ‘externalisaNon’) • Security demanded as a policy response to 9/11 and the acNviNes of
internaNonal terrorist, extremist and criminal groups • Changes in operaNonal environment (economic shocks, natural disasters,
growing compeNNon etc.) => border agencies under pressure for more effecNveness and efficiency
• Increasing awareness of need to protect the resilience of the internaNonal supply chain itself and ensure the safety and security of goods in trade and people in travel
An effecNve response needed
Development of standards
In the meanNme
‘Hardening’ of security
‘So[’ security
Niche market for border
technologies
‘Pushing’ the Border Out
EXPORT Advance
informaNon =>
SAFE FoS
Release/ Clearance
=> RKC provisions
IMPORT
SAFE AEO
decisions on admissibility
inland clearance or post clearance audit
voluntary compliance
enforced compliance
On the technology front
On the insNtuNonal level
Public Private
However…
Usage
Sharing
Legal framework
AdaptaNon
