CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
32 There was deep concern among all levels of officials visited in the ports of Santos and Rio de Janeiro at the number of incidents of piracy and armed robbery in Brazilian ports. All officials who spoke on the subject regretted the adverse publicity which such incidents attract and were conscious that such publicity might negatively affect shipborne trade to and from their national ports. The huge investment, which the country is making in developing transport infrastructure, particularly its commitment to develop the port of Sepetiba into a transhipment port to serve the region, underlines the need for action to build confidence in the safety of crew and passengers and the security during cargo handling operations.
33 The experts were informed that the Government of Brazil is developing a policy to improve public safety in Brazilian ports, terminals and waterways. A decree issued on 30 May 1995 established the National Public Safety Commission on Ports, Terminals and Waterways (CONPORTOS), which has been charged with maintaining order in ports, terminals and waterways. The Commission is made up of representatives from the Ministries of Navy, Foreign Affairs, Finance, Transport and the Federal Police and is co-ordinated by the Ministry of Justice.
34 In addition to the CONPORTOS, there are also State Committees (CESPORTOS) made up of representatives of the National Port Master's Office, the Port Authority, the Internal Revenue Service and the Customs under the co-ordination of the Federal Police. CESPORTOS are already operational in the States of Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Amazonas, Para, Parana and Espirito Santo and will be established in the near future in the States of Bahia and Santa Catarina. The authorities reported that the activities of the CESPORTOS had already resulted in a considerable reduction in the number of crimes reported in those States.
35 Under an agreement between the Ministries of Justice and Navy, the Federal Police is to be supplied with new equipment and more officers are to be recruited and trained. It was estimated that, by the end of 1998, the Federal Police would have acquired 5 new ten-meter boats and 4 twenty-one meter boats and that 40 additional police officers would have been recuited and trained.
36 There are a number of agencies dealing with security in the ports. This raises the question of co-ordination and avoidance of bureaucracy. The Federal Police accepted that the flow of information between the different agencies had not always been as efficient as it could be and that they were looking into this in the on-going organization. Although the seminar and workshop was very well attended by senior officers based at the headquarters in Brasilia, it would have been beneficial if working-level officers, who were in the front-line of the fight against piracy and armed robbery, had been invited to attend the sessions as they would have gained much from the type of the practical discussions which took place.
37 Another point which emerged during the IMO group visits to the two ports was that the senior officers in charge of security in the ports were unaware of most of the guidance developed by IMO in areas relating to their work. The opportunity therefore was taken to discuss the provisions of resolution A.872 (dealing with the prevention and suppression of the smuggling of drugs) and MSC circulars 622 and 623 (dealing with the prevention and suppression of piracy and armed robbery against ships). Copies of these IMO instruments were made available to the participants at the meetings in the two ports and the need was stressed to them to arrange administratively to receive relevant IMO documents on a continuing basis.
