Security Above All

With the coming into force of a United Nations-initiated shipping code a new barrier has been erected in global trading. The International Ships and Port Facility Security Code which was adopted by the UN members in 2002 requires countries to undertake security measures to prevent terrorist use of international shipping. This editorial in a South African newspaper echoes the mixed reaction the introduction of the code has received worldwide. The paper says so far as the code is intended to foil terrorism, it is commendable. But it notes that increasingly, in the name of security, people are denied the enjoyment of public space such as a stroll on the pier or a festival on the waterfront. The editorial says that “countries comply with the demand for tighter security at every point of entry and exit, not because they believe it necessary for themselves, but because that is what the US demands.” Those countries who resist are barred from shipping their goods to the US --the world's wealthiest economy – and it is something that nobody can afford. The editorial; concludes “The trend smacks of attempting to police the world and the cause of security becomes self-fulfilling.” –YaleGlobal.