Georgia: ICITAP Helps Advance Long-Awaited Single National Maritime Window Project

On July 10, ICITAP provided an update on its assistance to the Republic of Georgia in developing a single national maritime window. In partnership with the U.S. Department of State Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation (ISN) Export Control and Related Border Security (EXBS) Program, ICITAP opened the second Business Process mapping session kick-off in Georgia with the stakeholders involved in contributing to the Georgia National Single Maritime Window system’s development to make a more efficient and secure process for inviting and clearing ship vessels in any Georgian sea port. This workshop builds from workshop one to evolve from the “as-is” Processes to now visualize “to-be” processes to map the future process to be followed with digitalized information exchange and workflow procedures. In May 2023, Georgia’s Maritime Transportation Authority kicked off the first session of business process mapping workshops implemented by ICITAP that will digitalize the Maritime port process through a Single Maritime Window. The first of the three workshop sessions is to review “as-is” processes to outline the forms, procedures, and roles of each agency in the arrival and departure of vessels into Georgian ports. The project is funded by ISN/EXBS, resulting from their 2019 Feasibility Study. A single maritime window is an International Maritime Organization (IMO) recommended system to simplify and expedite information flows between trade and government stakeholders. It standardizes processes, and with expedited information sharing, trade is incentivized with reduced timelines for port clearance systems. EXBS Georgia, in partnership with ICITAP, is particularly interested in the role that the system will play in relieving stakeholders for the difficulties of a hard copy-based system, which emphasizes process completion rather than visibility and execution of the process for enforcement and interdiction purposes. Once digitalized and streamlined, EXBS and ICITAP anticipate increased trade opportunities but also improved data collection for analysis, increased interdictions, and overall deterrence of proliferation activities through Georgian ports. They will then be more equipped to review documentation, select vessels for boarding and search procedure, and recognize overall pattern analysis.