The 2014 International Conference on Homeland Security is being held in Taipei today and tomorrow by the Executive Yuan Office of Homeland Security (OHS).
Scholars, experts and government officials from the European Union, United States, Canada, Israel and South Korea have been invited to the event, and they will exchange views with ROC officials and professionals concerning the various security preparations and strategies for the 2017 Taipei Summer Universiade.
The conference's opening ceremony was chaired by Minister without Portfolio Chiang Been-huang, while Deputy Director Brent Christensen of the American Institute in Taiwan, Deputy Head of Office Viktoria Lovenberg of the European Economic and Trade Office, and Deputy Mayor Tim T.Y. Ting of the Taipei City Government (TCG) addressed the attendees.
Staff and officials from various ministries and agencies as well as the local governments of municipalities and counties such as Taipei City, New Taipei City, Keelung City, Hsinchu City and County, and Taoyuan County are also taking part in the event. These participants are all specialists in their respective fields, which include counterterrorism and security, disaster prevention and rescue, information security, epidemic prevention and control, emergency medical aid, transportation, and border control and management.
The conference topics include Summer Universiade security experiences and situations, security strategies and management for large-scale events, intelligence gathering and sharing, and current terrorism trends. After speakers deliver their presentations and participants have dialogue on these subjects, a general discussion session will be held.
Minister Chiang stated that as the 2017 Summer Universiade will see more than 160 countries and over 10,000 athletes participating, it will be the largest international event that the ROC has organized since the 2009 World Games in Kaohsiung, the 2009 Deaflympics in Taipei and the 2010 Taipei International Flora Exposition. Security is fundamental for such occasions, and no safety loopholes will be tolerated, he reiterated.
Chiang pointed out that the Executive Yuan has already launched various security readiness mechanisms to assist the TCG with Universiade safety strategies and preparations, display Taiwan's governance capacity, enhance the country's international visibility and recognition, and amplify the event's economic effects on tourism and relevant industries.
The Executive Yuan hopes that security experts who have experience in handling large competitions can share their professional know-how and personal experiences during the conference to make the Taipei Universiade's security preparations more comprehensive, Chiang said.
Although Taiwan has never been at high risk of terrorism, past experiences of other countries indicate that regional and international terrorist threats can substantially increase during large games and may even jeopardize the safety of contestants and spectators. Large international events in fact are among the most frequent targets of terrorism, Chiang noted, along with transportation systems, tourist hotels, and infrastructure for oil, water, and electricity.
Chiang thus particularly requested the conference attendees seize the opportunity of this event to learn from their counterparts' counterterrorism experiences. In addition, the minister expressed his respect and gratitude for the experts' tireless efforts.
It is the government's mission to safeguard homeland security; to prevent, handle, resolve and eliminate various crises in order to keep the society functioning normally and developing sustainably; and to guarantee the safety of people's lives and property, Chiang emphasized.
The administration will continue to innovate in terms of institutions, policies and management, he added. Moreover, he hopes to strengthen the mechanism of security talks through bilateral, multilateral and regional cooperation to jointly resolve the many unconventional security threats in modern society.
The 2014 International Conference on Homeland Security is being conducted by the OHS with the assistance of the Ministry of the Interior, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Education and TCG.