Update 20 Oct. 2008: INECE EPC Co-chair Gerard Wolters welcomed a global group of environmental and customs experts to Interpol's Headquarters on 9 October to respond to "one of the big global environmental challenges: illegal transboundary movement of hazardous wastes." The group worked over two days to identify capacity building, informational, and operational needs of developing countries and to select priority areas for enforcement cooperation under the Seaport Environmental Security Network. Minutes of the meeting, the meeting outcomes, the next steps for the network, and a background paper will be available on the web site in the mid-November.

The first meeting of the Seaport Environmental Security Network (SESN) will provide a unique opportunity for representatives of various enforcement authorities (environmental agencies, police, and customs) to share experiences in an informal setting on issues related to controlling transboundary hazardous waste movements at seaports. It will also provide a valuable opportunity for participants to provide input into the structure of the network and its proposed activities.

The meeting goals and expected outcomes are to:

• Gain insights into various national enforcement structures and methods at seaports as they apply to the transboundary movements of hazardous waste.
• Gain mutual understanding on how countries and specific authorities deal with cases of illegal transboundary movements of waste.
• Share experiences and discuss drivers and barriers to establishing better international enforcement cooperation.
• Present, discuss and collect ideas to improve the Terms of Reference for SESN and its proposed activities.
• Develop concrete next steps to move the SESN agenda forward.
• Identify participants and stakeholders for the activities of the Network.
• Draft a meeting report reflecting the discussions.