US, Canadian homeland security leaders eye raising global standards

A meeting between Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen and Canada’s Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Ralph Goodale on Monday focused on raising global security standards.

Nielsen and Goodale discussed standards pertaining to cyber security, counterterrorism, information sharing, and cross-border trade and travel during the meeting in Washington, D.C.

“The Department of Homeland Security remains committed to raising global security standards in partnership with our strong allies in Canada,” Nielsen said. “Today, we reaffirmed our joint commitment to counterterrorism and cybersecurity, as well as managing our shared border. We will continue to work together to ensure the safety and security of our countries, and build upon the successes of our many joint efforts.”

Monday’s discussion was a continuation of talks that kicked off between the two countries with a meeting between former acting Homeland Security Secretary Elaine Duke and Goodale in October.

“Canada and the United States share the world’s longest secure border in the world and enjoy a productive and mutually beneficial trading relationship,” Goodale said. “During my meeting with Secretary Nielsen we had an opportunity to discuss how our countries can continue to work together to expand preclearance to improve the flow of legitimate trade and travel across our borders, work collaboratively to protect our national security interests, and ensure the integrity of our borders while upholding our international obligations.”