OTTAWA, November 29, 2013 — Today, the Honourable Steven Blaney, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, released Canada's Beyond the Border horizontal performance report. This report, which is released on behalf of all participating departments and agencies, provides details on work carried out by Canada between December 7, 2011, and March 31, 2013, to implement the Beyond the Border Action Plan.
“Our Government is committed to increasing Canada's economic prosperity by facilitating legitimate trade and travel, and ensuring a safe and secure border,” said Minister Blaney. “The Beyond the Border Action Plan is helping us achieve that goal, and this report demonstrates Canada's commitment to reporting appropriately on progress and spending related to the Action Plan.”
Some of the highlights in the horizontal report include:
- an Integrated Cargo Security Strategy (ICSS) and a series of related pilots to harmonize the approach to cargo screening - “screened once, accepted twice”;
- increasing NEXUS membership by 22.5 percent in 2012/13 over the previous year;
- installing additional NEXUS lanes at Pacific Highway, B.C.; Douglas, B.C.; Abbotsford, B.C.; Queenston, Ont.; Fort Erie, Ont.; and Sarnia, Ont.;
- concurrently with the United States, increasing the low-value shipment thresholds to $2,500, from the existing level of $1,600 in Canada and $2,000 in the United States to improve processing times and provide cost savings for the importing community;
- the first-ever bi-national Border Infrastructure Investment Plan (BIIP); and
- release of the Canada–U.S. Joint Statement of Privacy Principles in June 2012. Its 12 principles cover the provision, receipt, and use of personal information exchanged by Canada and the United States pursuant to any information-sharing arrangements and initiatives under the Action Plan. These principles are also consistent with domestic privacy laws in both countries.
Overall progress on the implementation of the Beyond the Border Action Plan is reported annually in a joint Canada - U.S. Beyond the Border Implementation Report to Leaders. The first implementation report was released in December 2012. The second joint annual implementation report, covering implementation by both governments through 2013, is expected to be released in December 2013.
On February 4, 2011, Prime Minister Harper and President Obama issued Beyond the Border: A Shared Vision for Perimeter Security and Economic Competitiveness. The Declaration initiated a new long-term partnership between the two countries that is built upon a perimeter approach to security and economic competitiveness. The Beyond the Border Action Plan, released in December 2011, sets out specific bi-national initiatives to ensure that our two countries are working together to enhance our mutual border security and accelerate the legitimate two-way flow of people, goods and services.
Public Safety Canada worked closely with partner departments and agencies to develop a whole-of-government perspective on the implementation of the Beyond the Border Action Plan up to the end of the 2012/13 fiscal year.
The release of this report fulfils a Treasury Board Secretariat requirement that annual reports be prepared for horizontal initiatives that: have been allocated over $100 million in federal funds; are key to the achievement of government priorities; and/or have a high public profile.
