Passport Alert System Helps Combat Terrorism

Australia and the United States will trial a new passports alert system to help combat terrorism and improve travel safety.

The APEC Regional Movement Alert List (RMAL) system enables border officials to use computer databases to make immediate checks on passenger movements and compare them against records of lost and stolen passports.

At the APEC Joint Ministerial Meeting in Santiago, Chile, today I urged other APEC economies to join the pilot so that the safety of travel in our region can be enhanced.

There are currently two to three million passports from APEC economies lost or stolen. These could be used for illegal activities, including by terrorists.

Development of the alert system marks significant progress for APEC in the area of human security and business mobility, one of the elements of APEC's agenda. The RMAL system will make it harder for terrorists to travel in the region.

RMAL is a specific security commitment that APEC leaders called for in the 2003 Bangkok declaration.

At the Joint Ministerial Meeting I also launched the Australian report APEC: Best Practice in Secure Trade.

Prepared by Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the report showcases five case studies from a diverse range of APEC economies, illustrating concrete responses to the threat of terrorism. It deals with maritime and aviation security; business mobility; and anti-terrorist financing, drawing out the features which contribute to success.

The report reinforces the shared nature of the terrorist threat and demonstrates that it is in the interests of all economies to invest in reducing its potential and real costs. APEC: Best Practice in Secure Trade provides a useful roadmap and practical real-life examples of how economies can meet the challenge of protecting their people, while securing and facilitating trade.

Media Inquiries: Mr Downer's office 02 6277 7500 - DFAT Media Liaison 02 6261 1555