Napolitano stresses international partnerships, aviation and cyber security on overseas trip

Ecole Militaire

Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano told French military and security agencies on Dec. 2 that international partnerships are key to security efforts worldwide.

In remarks to her international counterparts at the École Militaire in Paris on the importance of strong international partnerships, Napolitano highlighted DHS’ commitment to working with France and other European partners to enhance international security.

Napolitano is on a worldwide travel swing that will take her to Europe and the Middle East in the next week.

“In our globalized economy, our international partnerships are critical to our nation’s domestic security, and strong international engagement and cooperation is essential,” said Napolitano at the Ecole Militaire. “DHS is committed to working closely with our allies and partners who face common threats to build a more secure and resilient nation while strengthening the commerce, travel, and communication networks that we all share.” 

Napolitano also underscored the DHS’ international security efforts, emphasizing the full range of threats the United States and its international partners face including terrorism and organized crime, including narcotics smuggling and human trafficking; proliferation of chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear weapons; and emerging threats in cyberspace.  She said DHS has more than 1,500 employees stationed abroad in 75 countries working bilaterally with nations and other major multilateral bodies and organizations to strengthen the security of the networks of global trade and travel. 

While in Paris, Napolitano and US Attorney General Eric Holder met with French Minister of the Interior Claude Guéant to talk about strengthening aviation security and information sharing to combat terrorism. They endorsed the US-EU Agreement on the Use and Transfer of Passenger Name Records, recently initialed in Paris on Nov. 17 by DHS Deputy Secretary Jane Holl Lute and Director Reinhard Priebe of the European Commission. They encouraged other member states of the European Union and the European Parliament to expedite approval of the agreement. 

According to DHS, Napolitano also met bilaterally with Secretary General Francis Delon and the French Minister of Justice Michel Mercier to amplify the efforts of the Departments of Homeland Security, Justice and State to adopt the Preventing and Combating Serious Crime (PCSC) Agreements—underscoring the critical increase of information sharing capabilities for Visa Waiver Program participating countries to help prevent terrorism and transnational crime.  

Napolitano also met with members of the American Chamber of Commerce in Paris where she talked about the department’s role in cyber security.  The US and France participate in a standing US-EU Working Group on Cybersecurity and Cybercrime that focuses on enhancing public-private partnerships, raising awareness about cyber threats, combating cybercrime, and protecting critical infrastructure and intellectual property. 

Napolitano moves on to the Middle East, traveling to Qatar and the United Arab Emirate Dec. 3-6, where she will discuss DHS’ role in international law enforcement efforts. While in Doha, Qatar, she will meet bilaterally with Minister of Interior Sheikh Abdullah Al-Thani on continued collaboration and increased security initiatives between the United States and Qatar.  Later in Abu Dhabi, said DSH, she will join US Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director John Morton and Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca at the Gulf States Global Police Symposium to deliver remarks on her agency’s partnerships with the international law enforcement community, said DHS.