U.S. Coast Guard Policy Statement

cooperation with homeland security partners to exchange information with foreign governments.

As stated in the National Strategy for Maritime Security, the National Plan to Achieve Maritime

Domain Awareness and the U.S. Coast Guard International Strategic Guidance, the Coast Guard

requires strong partnerships with members of the international community to counter today's full

spectrum of transnational activities and threats. Criminals and terrorists make effective use of sea

lines of communication and exploit the many boundaries recognized by the international

community. Since awareness for all nations begins in the ports of origin, international

partnerships are foundational to MDA and an important step toward improved transparency,

greater trust and better decision-making. The Coast Guard is uniquely well-suited to lead a

national effort to build worldwide MDA and address global maritime activities in general and

threats in particular. A globally synchronized and integrated MDA effort is essential to global

stability, security, safety and prosperity and can only be achieved through information exchange

arrangements that facilitate automatic information exchange among our regional and global

MDA partners.

The Coast Guard will build international partnerships to exchange maritime information with

foreign governments, utilizing existing Executive Branch procedures to maximize appropriate

information sharing opportunities while safe-guarding Coast Guard missions, resources and

personnel. Prioritization of effort and resources will be based on the strategic value of specific

information exchange arrangements and the willingness of foreign partners to participate. The

content and detail of each information exchange partnership will vary depending on the mutual

needs, capabilities and desires of participants. Information exchange partnerships will leverage

existing agreements and will to the greatest extent possible allow the Coast Guard to tailor

information exchange protocols and controls over time as information requirements develop and

change. In general, Coast Guard maritime information exchange arrangements with foreign

partners will:

1) Increase national awareness of people, cargo, and vessels operating in the maritime

domain;

2) Increase national awareness of events or conditions in the maritime domain;

3) Enable the timely dissemination of maritime information to homeland security

partners;