For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
Contact: 202-282-8010
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano will travel to Belgium, Denmark, Spain, the United Arab Emirates and United Kingdom on Nov. 2-8 to meet with her international counterparts to discuss information sharing and privacy protection; collaborative efforts to secure cyber networks worldwide; and coordination to combat transnational criminal activity and the global threat of terrorism.
In Belgium, Secretary Napolitano will meet with members of the European Parliament and Belgian officials to discuss methods for combating crime and terrorism while protecting civil liberties. She will also meet with World Customs Organization (WCO) Secretary General Kunio Mikuriya to discuss multilateral efforts to crack down on smuggling and strengthen risk-based cargo screening.
In Denmark, Secretary Napolitano will join her counterparts to discuss transportation security, bilateral criminal information sharing partnerships, and ongoing multinational efforts to address transnational crime—particularly human trafficking.
In Spain, Secretary Napolitano will deliver remarks to the International Conference of Data Protection and Privacy Commissioners. She will also join Spanish officials to discuss customs cooperation as well as privacy issues related to bilateral criminal information sharing partnerships between the United States, Spain and the European Union.
In the United Arab Emirates, Secretary Napolitano will meet with her counterparts to highlight transportation and maritime security and the benefits of information sharing initiatives to deter the threats of crime and terrorism.
In the United Kingdom, Secretary Napolitano will join her counterparts from France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and the UK to underscore the value of close, ongoing bilateral partnerships to combat terrorism, secure cyber networks and infrastructure, and support international law enforcement efforts while protecting privacy.
Next week’s trip marks Secretary Napolitano’s third visit to Europe and second to the Middle East since January to develop and strengthen international partnerships. She has also traveled to Mexico, Canada and other countries to enhance transnational collaboration—including several trips to the U.S.-Mexico border.
More details of the trip will be released once they are finalized.
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