Dubai Customs has called for strengthening international cooperation on export control issues to enhance nonproliferation of prohibited materials of all kinds, including weapons of mass destruction, and stressed that this is a humanitarian and universal commitment that DC takes very seriously to protect the world from the dangers of these weapons, according to such principles and values which UAE believes in and devotes all its efforts to achieve.
This came in the address of H.E. Ahmed Mahboob Musabih, Director of Dubai Customs, at the 14th International Export Control Conference that kicked off yesterday in Dubai, in the presence of His Excellency Dr. Anwar Gargash, UAE Minister of State of Foreign Affairs, Minister of State for Federal National Council Affairs.
In his address, H.E. Ahmed Mahboob Musabih said:"Out of its commitment with international resolutions and treaties on nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction and related technology, the United Arab Emirates has joined global efforts geared to achieve a peaceful world that is free of mass destruction weapons. Hence the Federal Law No. 13 of the year 2007 Concerning “Goods Subject to Import and Export Control.” was issued. This law addresses all goods that are subject to control, including materials used to make weapons of mass destruction."
“Under this legislation, a national Committee for Goods & Materials Subject to Import & Export Control was established. The committee’s executive office acts as a law enforcement agency to implement relevant international resolutions in coordination with the competent authorities. The office adopts the mechanisms of issuing entry and passage permits for shipments through the country’s customs ports, while ensuring streamlined clearance procedures and a smooth trade flow. Besides, preventing any misuse of the trade facilities provided by the UAE as well as its positive geographical location, the huge volume of shipments crossing the country, and its enormous trade exchange with different countries worldwide. In 2009, the Federal Authority for Nuclear Control was established, as the only body authorized to issue permits for users of nuclear technology in the United Arab Emirates, whether in nuclear power plants, radiation technology or radioactive resources used in oil exploration, or for medical purposes. It is also the sole entity authorized to inspect and control the users of this technology,” H.E. Ahmed Mahboob Musabih added.
The Director of Dubai Customs emphasized that “In line with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, for the UAE in general and Dubai in particular to a play leading role as a regional and global trading and investment hub, fully compliant with combating all forms of illegal trade; we at Dubai Customs are committed to rigorously implementing both local and international export control regulations instituted to curb the spread of weapons of mass destruction globally.
We have already updated all our control procedures and systems to ensure the fulfillment of these obligations. Dubai Customs has developed the “Risk Engine” system which identifies risks in all trading consignments and identifies in advance risky shipments. This system targets and monitors proliferant materials associated with weapons of mass destruction and dual-use items. The system is fed with accurate information related to these materials from various sources. This goes in coordination with the competent international and local agencies, and through cooperation with customs authorities in various countries at both regional and global levels, in order to ensure the best performance levels in response to any attempts to mislead control systems.”
“We at Dubai Customs have established a special unit to monitor the materials associated with weapons of mass destruction, which is affiliated to the Customs Intelligence Department. The said unit is tasked with monitoring imported and exported risky shipments to verify their sources and tracking lines, and ensure the prevention of any attempts to smuggle these items via Dubai to any other part in the world.
We have also developed the intelligence information exchange processes on suspected shipments in coordination with the member states of the World Customs Organization through the Customs Enforcement Network (CEN) and the Regional Intelligence Liaison Office in the Middle East (RILO). Dubai Customs is always committed to implementing all international resolutions issued by UN competent authorities and organizations to control shipments coming from or going to conflict zones, or those countries which are subject to an international control process to verify that they do not contain proliferant materials,” added Mr. Musabih.
Dubai Customs’ Director pointed out that international efforts to limit the circulation of prohibited materials of all kinds, including materials pertaining to the weapons of mass destruction, have come a long way in their endeavor to protect humankind from the dangers of these weapons. The development of international cooperation between export control systems tops the list of priorities in the world agenda on nonproliferation of prohibited materials linked to weapons of mass destruction, by controlling their traffic and thwarting bids to smuggle them through borders.
Mr. Musabih elaborated that in recent years, networks of illicit trading in materials used for weapons of mass destruction have started using novel tactics in smuggling these materials across borders and ports. They tend to hide the actual destination of their shipments and the real names of end-users of dangerous commodities and dual-use materials, by forging the names on shipping documents. They may also change the final uses of controlled commodities, such as listing chemical weapons as “commodities for the production of pesticides” for instance, as well as other misleading tactics to work around international regulations for export control.
He further noted that to keep up with such serious developments, nonproliferation international cooperation should be reinforced through improving channels of coordination and exchange of intelligence and information, as well as cooperation in upgrading control and inspection operations over proliferant transfers, in addition to building international training capacities of all regulatory and customs authorities and administrations. He also called for working towards providing sufficient infrastructure in terms of deploying modern equipment, tools and technologies, supported by effective export control processes. There is also a need to introduce strict nonproliferation regulations. Compliance with relevant international laws and good governance are imperative to ensure an efficient and comprehensive control system at national levels.
At the conference, Dubai Customs played a video about the Risk Engine system, developed in-house by DC teams. The Risk Engine is a smart system which is constantly fed with information about inbound consignments, for the purposes of expediting clearance procedures while tightening control of these consignments to protect the society from the infiltration of prohibited and counterfeit materials. The system was also developed to prevent the abuse of public resources and strengthen risk management while ensuring a streamlined boarder workflow.
The Customs Intelligence Department at DC collects, links and analyses this information to find out the risks entered into the system which efficiently turns down any risky transactions.
The system earned the DGEP award for the distinguished technological project in the 2012-2013 edition. It has many unique features, namely simulation, ability to create overlapping and complex work bases, user-friendly, flexible, ability to control the risk meter, evaluation of selected transactions, ability to connect with external data sources, instant implementation, issuing risk profile performance reports, synonyms dictionary, repetitive indicators analysis and scheduling risk profiles. The Risk Engine contributes to increasing customer satisfaction, cutting down operational cost, limiting loss of returns and upgrading the efficiency of risk control.
Dubai Customs has improved its ability to detect risky consignments, as a result of using this system, which contributes to making inspection operations more efficient and thus foiling many smuggling bids, without wasting inspectors’ time and effort searching a large number of shipments that may not contain prohibited nor restricted items.
The Risk Engine has enhanced the image of Dubai Customs both regionally and internationally, as a leading customs administration supporting legitimate trade. The system has helped dramatically streamline and expedite clearance procedures, and bagged over 12 local, regional and global awards. The WCO’s COLUMBUS Diagnostic Mission Report lauded DC’s work procedures and processes, including the recently introduced Risk Engine, considering it a world-class achievement and a reference model for other customs authorities and organizations around the world to learn from.