BY KRISTY RAMNARINE
The United States government will be entitled to receive information about people travelling to and from the Caribbean and even within the region under an agreement signed yesterday between Caricom and the US.

The Memorandum of Intent (MOI) on co-operation regarding development of an Advance Passenger Information (API) system was signed by US Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and Caricom heads at Hilton Trinidad yesterday.

It provides for the sharing of airline passenger data.

Chertoff said the aim is to keep out terrorists and serious transnational criminals from the Caribbean, a region that is very important to the United States.

“I think the Caribbean is very important...we are part of this community because of the coastline that borders on the Gulf and the Caribbean,” he said.

Caricom’s lead Prime Minister for regional security Patrick Manning said security restrictions in the world had changed since the Caribbean decided to host the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 (CWC 2007).

“When we agreed to host CWC in 2007, there was no 9/11,” he said.

“There was no issue involving terrorism in the UK and the effects on air travel.”

He said because of those developments, Caricom decided to seek assistance from other countries, including the United States, to ensure that CWC would have proper security arrangements.

“Generally we look at the security situation as it relates to drugs in particular, taking into consideration that we are located between the producing countries of the South and the consuming countries of the North,” Manning said.

According to Chertoff, “We have a vibrant travel industry that moves people back and forth...We have a lot of critical trade, including for example, liquid natural gas here in Trinidad and Tobago which makes this country the biggest exporter of LNG to the United States.

Manning said he was certain the talks were able to sensitise the Homeland Secretary that the situation called for a “structured and continuing dialogue between the Caricom countries and the government of the largest economy in our world, the United States of America.”

He said the discussion between the Caribbean Community and Chertoff were fruitful.

The Agreement

The main objective of the Memorandum of Intent (MOI) is to set a framework for the beginning of a collaborative arrangement to facilitate the review of Advance Passenger Information data transferred to the member states of the MOI.

The measures are for the purposes of Cricket World Cup (CWC) 2007 and are intended to continue after CWC 2007 for such a period and pursuant to such terms as determined by the participants, as part of a long-term partnership.

The Advance Passenger Information to be shared under the agreement will include:

Traveller’s full name

Date of birth

Travel Document Number

Travel Document Country of Issuance

Type of travel document (passport, visa, national identification card, etc.)

Nationality of citizenship

Gender

Carrier

Flight number (air only)

Vessel name and voyage number (vessels only)

International Maritime Organisation (IMO) number (vessels only)

Vessel flag registry (vessels only)

Departing (embarking) location