Inaugural Global Maritime Information Sharing Symposium

August 20th - 21st, 2008

U.S. Merchant Marine Academy

Kings Point, New York

Increasing Industry/Government Maritime Information Sharing Partnerships to the benefit of safety, security, commerce, and the environment.

GMISS FINDINGS & RECOMMENDATIONS

Prepared by the Office of Global Maritime Situational Awareness

"...trust and cooperation cannot be surged. They must be built over time so that the strategic interests of the participants are continuously considered while mutual understanding and respect are promoted."

Cooperative Strategy for 21^st Century Sea Power

"Overcoming cultural and policy barriers to information sharing requires changes in business practices and information security procedures."

U.S. National MDA Concept of Operations

"....we understand that our success depends on a strong foundation of partnership with our maritime stakeholders,"

Rear Adm. James Watson,

Coast Guard Director of Prevention Policy

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SUPPORTING MATERIALS

GMISS Materials

GMISS Agenda, Invitation & Press Release Tab (1)

Summary of Working Group Findings & Group Presentations Tab (2)

Working Group Follow-on Meeting minutes Tab (3)

GMISS Summary Minutes and Presentations Tab (4)

Other Commercial Outreach Event Materials

ODNI "Protecting The Global Supply Chain" Conference Materials, June 2^nd 2008 Tab (5)

"Integrating the Commercial Shipping Industry into A Cooperative Strategy for 21^st Century"

(Remarks by Capt J. Stephen Maynard, USN, U.S. Naval War College 09 July 2008) Tab (6)

Maritime Information Sharing Taskforce (MIST) Symposium Aug 20-21 2008 Materials Tab (7)

U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command MARLU Conference Sept 17-18 2008 Materials Tab (8)

U.S. Naval War College, Shipping Workshop, October 29^th 2008 - Agenda/Participants Tab (9)

MDA Related Acronyms for Maritime Industry - Reference List Tab (10)

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The inaugural Global Maritime Information Sharing Symposium (GMISS) was held on August 20-21, 2008 at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) in Kings Point, New York and brought together a diverse mix of over 125 participants from maritime companies, associations, navies, coast guards and government agencies from around the world.

GMISS is designed to be an annual symposium over the next five years, sponsored in conjunction with the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) and under the auspices of the Commercial Outreach/Private Sector Working Groups of the National Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) Stakeholder Board. It is dedicated to enhancing the information sharing relationships between the Maritime Industry and the U.S. Government (USG) through the coordination of the Office of Global Maritime Situational Awareness (OGMSA).

Why "GMISS"

The symposium supports the Maritime Administration in developing a coherent federal outreach and coordination effort. Leading up to this symposium, the U.S. Navy (USN) and U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) had expressed the need to expand their relationship with industry as set forth in the Cooperative Strategy for 21^st Century Seapower. As government agencies have increasingly realized the benefits to be gained by partnering with the maritime industry however, there has been a flurry of "commercial outreach" and a deluge of information requests that are overwhelming industry and rapidly eroding its eagerness and ability to respond. The maritime community, both directly and through its various associations, has expressed frustration and confusion over the seemingly uncoordinated efforts in support of and demands being place on maritime trade and security by government entities.

The GMISS was undertaken as an effort to harness this government energy for engagement and establish a means to coordinate a more cohesive dialogue between government and maritime industry representatives. GMISS is an opportunity to demonstrate that a USN/USCG/MARAD partnership can open the doors of communication to further advance the maritime strategy, and equally, begin to provide the coordination necessary to present a unified voice to the maritime community.

The long range (multi-year) objectives of the GMISS include:

• Coordinate the U.S. Government's maritime commercial outreach
• Implement industry/government working groups
• Highlight specific government relationships
• Promote regional involvement
• Engage a diverse range of stakeholders

Symposium structure

Through an "issue-to-working-group" progression in this inaugural GMISS and reflecting the needs of this inaugural symposium's main sponsors (OGMSA, Department of Justice "COPS", USFF/NCAGS and MARAD), the broad topic that is open maritime data sharing was approached from three particular vantage points:

• Law Enforcement Information Sharing in the Maritime Environment (The Evolution of Fusion Centers and Information Sharing with Law Enforcement).
• Regional Blue Water Information Sharing (Increased understanding and liaison with commercial shipping).
• Industry and Maritime Information Sharing (Increased understanding and data sharing with the commercial maritime industry).

Symposium attendees were asked to formulate their thoughts around five core questions:

• How can the U.S. Government be more coherent in its approach to the Maritime Industry?
• What should be the model for information sharing between the U.S. Government and the Maritime Industry?
• What are the unexploited maritime information sharing opportunities that will benefit the flow of commerce and help trade?
• How do we leverage the national strategy for maritime domain awareness to further these efforts?
• Is there value in continuing an annual symposium such as GMISS as the center of focus for issues and innovations?

This combination of vantage points and core questions was focused in four working groups, each addressing a specific issue. These issues had been developed during OGMSA's work with such maritime associations as the World Shipping Council, the Cruise Line International Association (CLIA), and numerous individual industry representatives.

• Working Group A: Issue - Can Government Information Requests to Shipping Companies be Consolidated, Streamlined, Standardized or Reduced?

• Working Group B: Issue - What is the Law Enforcement/Industry Model for an International/Domestic Maritime Information Sharing Center?

• Working Group C: Issue - What does the Maritime Industry Want from the World's Navies and Coast Guards?

• Working Group D: Issue - How do we Create Economic Incentives for Maritime Information Sharing?

Working Group Findings

Consolidated Summary findings as generated from the symposium's four independent working groups can be summarized into the following eight categories and potential courses of action:

• Inventory: Establish baseline maritime information requirements (both government's and industry's).

• Cost/benefit: Determine the cost of providing information that is requested or required versus its intended and real benefits.

• Standardize: Standardize the requested information and the procedures for its exchange, globally.

• Portals/Hubs: Set up commercially-based "portals/hubs" through which maritime data can be centralized/exchanged.

• Incident Exchange: Set up a global incident information exchange for use by industry/navy/coast guards.

• Market: Market all the above broadly across industry/government/navy/coast guards to ensure broadest involvement from all possible stakeholders.

• Acta non verba: (i.e. these issues have been discussed enough, let's make them happen).

A summary of individual working group discoveries and action items can be found in the Attachment section of this report.

Conclusion

The concept behind GMISS and its inaugural symposium appear to have been well received by both industry and government attendees as expressed by their subsequent comments and of greater importance, by the significant number of industry attendees volunteering to continue to participate in the working groups.

The symposium topics set forth through the symposium agenda, outlined via plenary and break-out presentations and then refined to issues through working groups also appear to be along the same lines as those being wrestled with at the various USG inter-agency MDA meetings of which OGMSA has been a part.

Further, a rough preliminary comparison of the GMISS outcomes with the materials from other USG commercial outreach symposium efforts (see attachments) indicates a parallel trend of issues being brought forth by industry participants regardless of venue including:

• The need for USG to speak a singular MDA message.
• The need for a coordination of USG maritime information requests of industry.
• The need for a single portal to send requested data to for subsequent internal USG distribution
• The need for a cost/benefit analysis of data being requested or required.
• The need for reciprocity on data requests.
• The need for action towards mutually beneficial solutions.

Regardless, while the momentum created by GMISS and other such events has been positive, post-symposium actions are of greater importance lest GMISS becomes yet another USG conference gathering data from industry but not making any changes as a result.

It is the crucial need for post-conference actions that prompted this report and its recommendations.

SYMPOSIUM DETAIL

The Global Maritime Information Sharing Symposium supports the Maritime Administration (MARAD) in developing a coherent federal outreach and coordination effort

Symposium Background

Need for New Approaches

The Office of Global Maritime Situational Awareness (OGMSA) was created based on the understanding that there are significant benefits to be gained through an increase in the level of open exchange of non-classified maritime information. As witnessed within other industries (airline, trucking, manufacturing, etc.), an increase in the open exchange of maritime information will improve the maritime industry's safety, security, commerce, and the environment within which it operates.

Within each of the guiding documents and initiatives calling for greater global maritime security, such as the "Cooperative Strategy for 21^st Century Sea Power," and the "Global Maritime Partnership (GMP)," are such core concepts of openness as; maximizing the share-ability of maritime data, multilateral versus bi-lateral data sharing agreements, and growing both long term inter-agency & international partnership trust. When such concepts are undertaken within an embracement of a broader rationale for sharing (i.e. maritime safety, commerce & environment), the result will be a greater transparency in maritime affairs to the benefit of all.

Key to this shift to openness however, is the requirement for greater cooperation among stakeholders as can only be obtained through a broadening of the open dialog with the industry we seek greater awareness of, along non-traditional lines of communication and engagement.

Need for Conference Coordination

The increase in energy expended to increase maritime information sharing is generating momentum and is to be applauded. However, it needs focus. By informal count, there were well over 20 commercial outreach meetings sponsored by U.S. Government (USG) entities in the past 12 months. The plethora of conferences and symposiums, all purporting to enhance communications and information sharing between government agencies and the maritime industry, have created the following list of complaints from industry and government:

• Too many conferences that say the same thing; objectives are the same.
• Too many conferences with no follow through.
• Too many conferences that establish working groups but no usable products are created.
• Too many duplicative information requests by the USG and international organizations.
• Conference results are not shared across agencies, nor is there an attempt to build on issues raised.

These issues are creating frustration on the part of commercial entities with little headway in information sharing.

In sum, the static of USG commercial outreach may be over-whelming the intended dialog and actions.

Need to Leverage Best Practices

While there are significant benefits to be gained by both the maritime industry and the USG through the United States Coast Guard's (USCG) exemplary commercial outreach efforts both past and present (examples: "Prevention Through People (PTP)", "Area Maritime Security Committees (AMSC)", "Center's of Knowledge", ALCOAST 108/08 "The Commandant's Expectations for Interaction with the Maritime Industry"), any USCG/Industry dialog may be inherently inhibited by the regulatory basis of that relationship which in turn may prevent the acceptance by parties of what could be mutually beneficial best practices.

The leveraging and exchange of best practices requires the involvement of an honest-broker whose unbiased intent is to maximize benefit to all.

Need for broader industry representation

Within USG circles, a reference to the maritime industry remains too frequently a reference to its ship owners or at the outside, its cargo interests. The industry however, is much deeper and broader in its equities. The influence and information from maritime charterers, underwriters, brokers, ship agents, private equity, mortgage holders, mariners' associations, vendors and the seafarers themselves, presents a whole new layer of capability whose information, while routinely exchanged to the benefit of industry, remains untapped by most involved in government MDA. To not involve this layer of interests is to remain in the shadows of the forces which keep global maritime trade moving forward.

These crucial maritime interests and viewpoints need to be equally involved in any changes to their industry.

Original Conference Intent

Based in part on the above OGMSA observations, the GMISS was created as a venue to enhance communication and maritime information sharing across and on behalf of the USG. It works to bring together and coordinate government entities that play a role in maritime commerce. Specifically, it is designed to remove inhibitors to efficient commerce through enhanced information sharing. In other words, how can we collectively enhance safety and security without hampering commerce? The overall objectives of GMISS are to:

1. Harness the growing energy for conferences and commercial outreach initiatives across the government. Specifically, identify priorities among those information sharing issues that are emerging from government-commercial relations and ensure resources are available to work them.
2. Create a systematic, annual cycle of coordination that ensures the identification of and engagement in USG-commercial information sharing issues. GMISS will be the annual meeting to assess what has been accomplished over the last year and ensure priorities are clear for the coming fiscal year.
3. Provide a forum for stakeholders in government and the global Maritime Industry to address issues and initiatives central to information sharing needs that enhance maritime situational awareness.

GMISS was specifically designed to:

• Provide coordinated outreach across all MDA entities/Synergy of efforts and husbanding of resources
• Leverage accomplishment by U.S. Navy (USN), USCG, MARAD, Military Sealift Command, Industry.
• Present single USG face to the industry and help resolve their MDA concerns/issues
• Exchange best practices
• Create more trust and comfort for information sharing by industry and the USG.

The long range (multi-year) objectives of the GMISS include:

• Coordinate the USG's commercial outreach: across the USN, USCG, the Department of Transportation and other USG agencies involved in maritime safety, security, commerce and environment to ensure a more unified path for addressing industries issues/concerns and innovations.

• Implement industry/government working groups: to provide a forum for maritime leaders to "create problem solving initiatives" in the area of information sharing that enhance the flow of commerce and establish "new" stakeholder working groups. Identify and act on opportunities that strengthen Information Sharing processes and agreements

• Highlight specific government relationships: Each year, one or two new areas of government will be selected, examining their relationship with the industry and opportunities to improve information sharing. This year's symposium brought together the diverse yet surprisingly parallel view points of the Department of Justice's Community Oriented Policing Services ("COPS"), the U.S. Navy's Naval Coordination and Guidance for Shipping (NCAGS), and the U.S. Coast Guard, together with representatives of the Maritime Industry.

• Promote regional involvement: In the years to come, the symposium will be held at various international & domestic Maritime Learning Institutions to ensure a regional view point while also encouraging the engagement by all concerned with Maritime Domain Awareness issues.

• Engage a wide range of stakeholders: Ship Owner and Operators - Shipping Brokers - Shipping Agents - Vessel Underwriters, Federal, State, Local officials, Maritime educators, and International partners, by remaining specifically focused on serving as an open-forum where industry can express what works and what has not with regard to the information sharing requirements in support of maritime safety, security, commerce and environment.

Symposium Results

Symposium Format

"Issue -> Working Group -> MDA Stakeholders Board -> Resolution"

To ensure an "issue to working group" progression in this inaugural GMISS and reflecting the needs of this symposium's three main sponsors, the broad topic that is open maritime data sharing was approached from three particular vantage points:

• Law Enforcement Information Sharing in the Maritime Environment
  • Evolution of Fusion Centers and Information Sharing with Law Enforcement.

• Regional Blue Water Information Sharing
  • Increased understanding and liaison with commercial shipping.

• Industry and Maritime Information Sharing
  • Increased understanding and data sharing with the commercial maritime industry.

Attendees were asked to then formulate their thoughts around five core questions:

• How can the U.S. Government be more coherent in its approach to the Maritime Industry?

• What should be the model for information sharing between the U.S. Government and the Maritime Industry?

• What are the unexploited maritime information sharing opportunities that will benefit the flow of commerce and help trade?

• How do we leverage the national strategy for maritime domain awareness to further these efforts?

• Is there value in continuing an annual symposium such as GMISS as the center of focus for issues and innovations?

This combination of vantage points and core questions was focused in four working groups, each addressing a specific issue. These issues had been developed during OGMSA's discussions with such maritime associations as the World Shipping Council, the Cruise Line International Association (CLIA), and numerous individual industry representatives.

Working Group A: Issue - Can Government Information Requests to Shipping Companies be Consolidated, Streamlined, Standardized or Reduced?

Goals: To understand industry's concern with respect to volume, timing and period of data reporting. To formulate realistic guidelines for the future to meet national and international security requirements, while at the same time minimizing the burden on the smooth flow of commerce.

Working Group B: Issue - What is the Law Enforcement/Industry Model for an International/Domestic Maritime Information Sharing Center?

Goals: To build a vision of the ideal information-sharing center with respect to size, location, security, technology, and information flow. To identify an existing national or international information center model for study and emulation.

Working Group C: Issue - What does the Maritime Industry Want from the World's Navies and Coast Guards?

Goals: To have industry representatives share their challenges on the high seas. To identify commercial maritime scenarios - both routine and crisis - that merit the cooperation and support from the worlds' navies.

Working Group D: Issue - How do we Create Economic Incentives for Maritime Information Sharing?

Goals: To share ideas on how to best meet improved security needs with realistic operational costs in mind. To put forth suggestions to government agencies on how to best keep security costs distributed fairly among all in trade.

WORKING GROUP FINDINGS

Interestingly, the 56+ individual findings generated from the symposium's four independent and separately located working groups, can be summarized into the following eight categories /courses of action:

• Inventory: Establish baseline maritime information requirements (both governments and industries).

• Cost/benefit: Determine the cost of providing information that is requested or required versus its intended and real benefits.

• Standardize: Standardize the requested information and the procedures for its exchange, globally.

• Portals/Hubs: Set up commercially-based "portals/hubs" through which maritime data can be centralized/exchanged.

• Incident Exchange: Set up a global incident information exchange for use by industry/navy/coast guards.

• Market: Market all the above broadly across industry/government/navy/coast guards to ensure broadest involvement from all possible stakeholders.

• Acta non verba: (i.e. these issues have been discussed enough, let's make them happen).

A summary report and detailed results of the individual GMISS working group findings can be found in Tab (2).

Working Group Points of Contact

Working Group A ( Can government information requests to shipping companies be consolidated, streamlined, standardized or reduced?): Cmdr. Jim Feldkamp, USN, James.L.Feldkamp@uscg.mil.

Working Group B ( What is the law enforcement/industry model for an international/domestic maritime information sharing center?): Lt. Pat Dowling, USN, Patrick.J.Dowling@uscg.mil.

Working Group C ( What does the maritime industry want from the world's navies and coast guards): Lt. Kat Pabon, USCG, Katiuska.A.Pabon@uscg.mil.

Working Group D ( How do we create economic incentives for maritime information sharing): Mr. Bob Rogodzinski, contractor, Robert.A.Rogodzinski@uscg.mil.

NEXT STEPS

The following are proposed based upon OGMSA's observations and findings from the GMISS and similar USG commercial outreach initiatives.

Consolidation of Findings

The diversity of the maritime industry and its equities requires digging deeper than simply taking an open statement of concern with a particular issue at face value. There is significant benefit to be had in combining conference results and comparing the findings across venues to establish which issues involve the broadest industry audience (as example). To this end, this GMISS summary report also includes the conference materials/findings from other recent commercial outreach efforts as have been provided to OGMSA.

Under the concept that data sharing begins in ones own office, OGMSA has begun to exchange symposium/conference findings with the Maritime Administration's MIST, GMAII's Global Supply Chain Conference, The Naval War College's Commercial Outreach workshop and others, to begin the formation of a more focused effort across USG equities.

Consolidation of Industry Contact lists

Of the five commercial outreach events for which OGMSA has the materials, we note a wealth of contact information from industry participants who may well benefit from and agree to being involved in a periodic broad distribution of MDA reports and/or upcoming MDA related events. Such email exchanges can only aid in generating a new level of dialog across USG and the industry supplementing existing relationships.

Continuance of Working Groups

Within 20 days of the inaugural GMISS, working group leads began conducting phone conferences between the participants that were in the working groups as preliminary follow-through on the issues expressed during the symposium. Working Group A has already held its first two such phone conference, the minutes from which are provided as an attachment. As outlined above, a re-grouping email is to be sent to GMISS participants to advise of this summary report and its anticipated distribution to all GMISS participants to serve as a baseline reference document in support of increased dialog, partnership efforts and mutually beneficial MDA solutions.

Symposium Message Coordination

Towards ensuring the maximum leveraging of both government resources and industry time, it is proposed the OGMSA begin to serve as a central coordinating repository of USN and USCG commercial outreach events, working in cooperation with the Department of Transportation's Maritime Administration. While nothing in this proposal would preclude any individual agency or department from holding commercial outreach events, perhaps by centralizing the materials and list of participants, the beginnings of a commercial outreach material exchange can occur to the maximum benefit of all involved. Attached to this report are the beginnings of such an exchange in the materials from number of commercial outreach events held around the time of GMISS.

Maritime Awareness Marketing

A letter of introduction on the OGMSA and the GMISS event will be sent to the principle international shipping associations including BIMCO, INTERCARGO, the International Chamber of Shipping/International Shipping Federation and INTERTANKO, as a means of broadening and deepening the level of government/industry interaction. This is a preliminary action in response to the GMISS findings that we needed to market broadly across industry/government/navy/coast guards to ensure broadest involvement from all possible stakeholders.

From this introduction, it is anticipated that in place of the government hosting industry conferences, the industry will begin to invite government involvement in industry functions as the industry begins to better embrace the need for its own involvement in the call for greater maritime awareness.

Exploration of the cost/benefits of expanding the role of U.S. Fleet Forces Naval Coordination and Guidance for Shipping (NCAGS)

The involvement in GMISS 2008 by Fleet Forces Command's Naval Cooperation and Guidance for Shipping (NCAGS) was with specific intent. Whereas internationally, NCAGS is maintained as a full time active duty staff, industry input suggests the USN is underestimating the long term benefits of relationships built up over time through a continuous maritime liaison role between the U.S. Navy and the Maritime Industry.

The GMISS is intended to serve as a means to help define and mature the U.S. Navy's commercial outreach objectives and initiatives through such actions as highlighting the potential for NCAGS to expand its role as a key commercial outreach/MDA entity on behalf of the USG. It is OGMSA's belief that NCAGS is uniquely positioned to greatly assist the US Navy's MDA objectives through:

• Improving and helping to focus USN relationships with the maritime industry
• Enhancing USN knowledge on how to increase maritime awareness without slowing commerce.
• Reinforcing the Global Maritime Partnership (GMP) initiative.
• Highlighting USN/USFF MDA efforts and initiatives to the maritime industry.
• Strengthening the overall USG commercial outreach team (i.e. Stand tall with USCG, DOT, DOJ)

The GMISS forum represents an opportunity for the Navy to explore, or even announce new initiatives and/or relationships, internal and external to the USG with respect to MDA and commercial outreach.

Conclusion

In summary, the GMISS is an excellent anchor event around which to ensure dialog and actions by both the US Government and the Maritime Industry are brought more in synch to the benefit of both. Further, through the combined efforts of MARAD and OGMSA, the GMISS can reside within the framework of the U.S. National MDA Stakeholders Board Private Sector Sub-committee. The intent of the Private Sector Sub-committee is to facilitate a highly collaborative and effective maritime information sharing environment through enhanced communication and coordination between the USG and the Maritime Industry.

The GMISS will help generate the discussions, the working groups will refine them into workable issues which can then be worked either through existing USG processes and means or by presentation and follow-through via the MDA Stakeholder Board.

In view of the above, we recommend a continuance of the GMISS initiative and look forward to working with our USG inter-agency and maritime industry partners to the creation of greater maritime understanding to the benefit of maritime safety, security, commerce and the environment within which it exists.

-- ChadHolmes - 22 Jan 2009