Workshop I set the stage by gathering, in person, over 70 participants from various sectors, including U.S. government officials, industry leaders, environmental and labor NGOs, customs brokers, commodities consultants, and technology providers to have an open conversation about the opportunities to improve SIMP. The key takeaways from this initial session focused on redefining risk, digitizing processes, improving interagency coordination, and aligning SIMP with global best practices:
- Redefining Risk: There was a call to broaden the understanding of risk to include contextual factors beyond just product- or species-specific concerns. The discussion emphasized the need to address forced labor effectively and ensure robust enforcement mechanisms.
- Digitizing the SIMP Process: Participants advocated for moving beyond electronic documentation to achieve true digitization. This includes creating a dynamic import control system that adapts to new information and enhances traceability.
- Improving Interagency Coordination: Recommendations included sharing data and intelligence across agencies, reducing redundancy in data collection, and leveraging SIMP data to target enforcement more effectively.
- Fitting into the Broader Seascape: There was support for incorporating elements from international trade programs, such as pre-import screening and catch certificates, and aligning data collection requests with global standards to boost transparency and accountability.
The next step in this collaborative process was Workshop II, which focused on how to operationalize the ideas discussed in the first workshop and how to implement future improvements to SIMP.
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Author: Hanae Matsui
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