Maritime security threats are not solved at sea. The majority need to be primarily addressed ashore, with ports playing a key part in the solution. This was the basis of a new national workshop on maritime security risk management piloted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO). The workshop took place from February 17-21 in Denpasar, Indonesia, and has been designed to help participants counter threats in the maritime domain, which include terrorist attacks, piracy and armed robbery as well as challenges of increased drug trafficking, smuggling of weapons, and migration.
The workshop covered solutions including putting appropriate protocols in place to secure access control to the port and the ships as part of security measures and risk assessments. Participants were told that an important part of risk management as a whole is to correctly prioritize limited resources and available time, in order to take action to reduce the most important risks.
During the workshop, the new Benoa Sea Passenger Cruise Terminal was the site of an on-scene assessment conducted by participants. The event was co-organized with the governments of Indonesia, Australia and the United Kingdom.
