Abstract: Smart Borders Policy Group Project
Rey Koslowski, Associate Professor of Political Science and Director of the Research Program on Border Control and Homeland Security of the Center for Global Change and Governance

This project will examine the implementation of the 2001 Smart Borders agreement between the US and Canada, which laid the groundwork for the US homeland security strategy to leverage information technology for risk management at the border. US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials envision the move towards "virtual borders" with the rollout of US-VISIT and increasing use of biometrics, database integration, data mining and radio frequency identification (RFID) technology. The recently established Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) has likewise adopted a technology-enabled risk management strategy for cargo and passengers using the Electronic Commerce Platform (ECP) and CANPASS programs. The implementation of smart borders policies and technology deployment can have a great impact on trade between the US and its largest trading partner, Canada (estimated at $350 billion, 25% of which crosses the Ambassador Bridge between Detroit and Windsor, Ontario). This US-Canadian academic/policy community/private sector study group will examine the US-Canadian cooperation on border control and homeland security with a special focus on leveraging informational technologies to support this cooperation. Meetings will identify policy and technological problems for further analysis and research and will primarily be held via video-teleconference. It is hoped that video-teleconference meetings will lay the groundwork for follow-up workshops and extended in-person working group meetings and a network for collaboration among US and Canadian policymakers, Rutgers faculty and Canadian academic partners.