The United States and Belize Proliferation Security Initiative Ship Boarding Agreement

The Proliferation Security Initiative was announced by President Bush on May 31, 2003, and is aimed at establishing cooperative partnerships worldwide to prevent the flow of weapons of mass destruction, their delivery systems, and related materials to and from states and non-state actors of proliferation concern. Proliferation Security Initiative partners marked the recent second anniversary of the Initiative through a series of activities, including exercises in the Czech Republic and Spain and an event hosted by Secretary Rice on May 31 for the Washington diplomatic corps.

The ship boarding agreement signed by the U.S. and Belize will facilitate cooperation between the two countries to prevent the maritime trafficking of proliferation-related shipments by establishing points of contact and procedures to expedite requests to board and search suspect vessels in international waters. If a U.S.- or Belizean-flagged vessel is suspected of trafficking proliferation-related cargo, either Party to this agreement can request authorization to board, search, and possible detain the other’s vessel and its cargo. The agreement does not apply to the vessels of third states.

Belize is the first CARICOM member state and the sixth country in total to sign a Ship Boarding Agreement with the U.S in support of the Proliferation Security Initiative; we have concluded similar agreements with Liberia, Panama, the Marshall Islands, Croatia and Cyprus. The combination of states with which we have signed bilateral ship boarding agreements, plus the commitments made by other Proliferation Security Initiative partners under the Statement of Interdiction Principles, translates into more than 60 percent of the global commercial shipping fleet dead weight tonnage now being subject to rapid action consent procedures for boarding, search, and seizure.

Signing the ship boarding agreement demonstrates the commitment of Belize and the United States to ensuring the highest standards of security for their flag registries. This reciprocal agreement also sends a clear message to proliferators that neither the U.S. nor Belize will tolerate the involvement of their vessels in the trade of proliferation-related cargoes. We believe that ship boarding agreements in support of the Proliferation Security Initiative simultaneously deter proliferators and attract legitimate commercial shipping interests that want to ensure their goods are transported under a reputable and responsible flag, which is not "misused" to transport illicit proliferation-related shipments.

For additional information on the Proliferation Security Initiative, please see http://www.state.gov/t/np/c10390.htm.