An Inland Security Transport Discussion Forum was organised by UNECE in partnership with UIC, IRU, TAPA and “Service Public Federal Mobilité et Transports” of Belgium, on 28 and 29 January in Geneva, Palais des Nations. According to the organisers and attendees this forum made for an interesting and worthwhile event.
UIC was asked to prepare the railway presentations.
The agenda included a presentation of the UIC Security Platform, the Colpofer and Railpol groups, and on the Deutsche Bahn security organisation.
On behalf of the platform, its chairman Tadeusz Kacmarek presented the work carried out during the two years of his chairmanship, focusing on the role of human factors in security policy (working party led by RZD) and on the need for a specific identity card for the railway staff working across the Schengen borders (work in progress with the European Commission DG JLS).
He stressed the annual events, the world congresses of the platform which are an excellent opportunity for sharing best practices and defining common priorities.
He reminded attendees of the Marrakech Congress (March 2009), the final declaration of which raised the question of whether it was a good idea to create an international organisation in charge of rail security.
Since the congress, this item has been discussed in a dedicated UNECE task force set up by the SC2 (UNECE Working Party on Rail Transport) and composed of the nominated representatives from eight countries (France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Russian Federation, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom), two agencies of the European Commission (ERA, Joint Research Centre), five international organizations (CER, EIM, OTIF, OSCE, UIC) and two railway companies (SNCF, TCDD).
The task force presentations included recommendations to UNECE member States as well as contributions pertaining to the use of cost-benefit analysis (A. Cook from UK), exchange of good practices (MH Bonneau from UIC), international regulations (Y. Rougier from France) and secure architecture for railway projects (V. Westreim from Norway).
The task force recommended to national authorities the development of a suitable architecture for a toolbox of guidelines and good practices. This could be accomplished by setting up a Technical Working Group (TWG) that would become a unique internationally accepted focal point for rail security. The formation of a joint TGW should be proposed by the UNECE Working Party on Rail Transport to a number of international organizations dealing with inland transport security, including the International Working Group on Land Transport Security (IWGLTS) and UIC.
On behalf of UIC, Jacques Colliard announced the next UIC World Security Congress to the attendees, which will be held in Istanbul from 21st to 23rd April (for all information email: security 2010 at uic.org)
The Congress will focus on the continuation of international official long-term partnerships and on the best ways of developing security policies as key issues of the quality of rail activities.
