Mariko Silver, acting assistant secretary for international policy at the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), yesterday praised the measures adopted by Taiwan’s government to ensure the integrity of its passports.
Speaking in Taipei on the first day of a two-day conference sponsored by the Cabinet’s Office of Homeland Security, Silver said: “Taiwan’s adoption of e-passports is a major step forward and we applaud that. Taiwan’s passport itself is truly world-class.”
The government’s continuing efforts to make the visa application process more secure are also “essential for the security of the traveling public,” she added.
PHOTO: CHIEN JUNG-FONG, TAIPEI TIMES
Experts from the US, Japan, Singapore and Indonesia are in Taipei to discuss issues such as travel security, maritime security, immigration and border security, as well as critical infrastructure protection.
In her presentation, Silver addressed the ongoing challenges of disrupting and interdicting terrorist travel and how her department is working to prevent threats by terrorist travel, attaching great importance to international cooperation and developing robust travel and security procedures.
The department’s approach to identifying and screening international travelers hinges heavily on maximizing cooperation with foreign partners, Silver said, adding “Terrorists and criminal actors actively seek to exploit loopholes and gaps in the international travel system ... Our task is to ensure these vulnerabilities are correctively identified, assessed and remedied.”
On securing travel documents, Silver said biometrics and individuals’ unique physical characteristics are at the core of the DHS’ approach.
Asked by the Taipei Times if the measures adopted or to be implemented in Taiwan to strengthen passport application procedures would enhance the possibility of Taiwan being included in the US’ visa-waiver program, Silver said Washington welcomed Taiwan’s efforts to cooperate with the US to enhance passport security.
Asked about other issues to be resolved before Taiwan is eligible for the program, Silver said: “There are always technical discussions and there are always technical issues to resolve, with any partners.”
She said that “the primary issues are related to technical security,” when asked if pressure from China was a factor.
Huang Ching-shyong (黃清雄), deputy director-general of the Bureau of Consular Affairs (BOCA), said in his presentation that the launch of e-passports at the end of 2008 would help Taiwan’s case for obtaining visa-waiver treatment from other countries.
“In addition to e-passports, the BOCA has implemented a new facial recognition system to enhance integrity verification ... and will apply the system more widely in the future. For example, it will consider integrating the national ID image database into the passport issuance process,” he said.
The government is also in the process of amending the Passport Act (護照條例), which will require applicants to appear in person to deter unlawful acquisition, Huang said.
President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), American Institute in Taiwan Director William Stanton and Chief Representative of Japan Interchange Association Tadashi Imai were invited to give opening remarks.
Ma said Taiwan was more than willing to cooperate with the international community to address challenges facing the world such as public health and climate change.
Regarding conventional security matters, Ma said Taiwan also benefited from international cooperation in obtaining intelligence to prevent possible security incidents during the Kaohsiung World Games and the Taipei Deaflympics last year.
Stanton, meanwhile, said: “The US and Taiwan enjoy close cooperation in stemming the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. For example, for the past three years, the US and Taiwan have been working together to enhance Taiwan’s export controls.”
“In that time, Taiwan has made significant progress in its nonproliferation and counter-proliferation efforts,” he said.
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