The 18th UIC World Security Congress, a 3-day Conference, was held in Jaipur, Rajasthan from 21st February to 23rd February 2023. It was jointly organised by the International Union of Railways (UIC – Union International Des Chemins) and the Railway Protection Force (RPF), India.
The theme of Congress is “Railway Security Strategy: Responses and Vision for Future”.
- The event was held in India for the 3rd time. Previously, in 2006 and 2015, RPF India successfully organized and hosted the UIC World Security Congress in New Delhi, Delhi.
Note: The 17th UIC World Security Congress was held on 14 and 15 June 2022 in Warsaw, Poland.
18th UIC World Security Congress:
i. The Congress started with an inaugural session on 21st February 2023 and concluded with a valedictory session on 23rd February 2023.
ii. The congress was divided into 4 sessions with underlying sub-themes of “Protecting Critical Assets & Freight”, “Human Security Approach”, “Best Railway Security Tools & Practices across the World” and “Vision 2030”.
iii. RPF hosted the congress and engaged with the delegates (Security representatives) of the Member Organizations of UIC.
iv. World Security Congress is a renowned global security forum that unites Representatives from the member Railway Organizations, UIC delegates, policymakers, and senior law enforcement officers from the State Police and Railway Protection Force gather to discuss current security challenges and deliberate on creative solutions in the railway industry.
Key Points:
Inaugural Session:
i. Sanjay Chander, Director General of Railway Protection Force, India, who took over as the Chairman of the Security Platform of the UIC from July 2022 to July 2024, gave the welcome address during the inaugural session.
ii. Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister of Railways; A. K. Lahoti, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chairman of Railway Board; Francois Davenne, Director General of the UIC; Xavier Roche, Director of Security of French Railways (SNCF) who is also the Vice Chairman of the Security Platform of the UIC; and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Kailash Sathyarthi were present.
iii. A Special UIC edition of the RPF Journal was released on the occasion.
- The journal contains articles from leading professionals from Indian and International police and security organizations, senior officials with decades of experience in civil administration and industry experts.
2nd Day:
i. On the 2nd day, the Congress focused on exploring the best Railway Security tools and practices from around the world and called for an international collaboration to tackle Railway security challenges.
ii. The session contained presentations on the best railway security tools and practices in North America, the Middle East, Africa, Europe and India.
- The presentations highlighted how various nations are leveraging technology, innovation and customized processes to enhance security on trains and stations.
iii. With the theme of “Vision 2030”, the afternoon session saw senior police officers of India lead a stimulating discussion on the security challenges of the future.
“Jaipur Declaration” adopted at the 18th World Security Congress
On 23rd February 2023, the 18th UIC World Security Congress concluded with the adoption of the Jaipur Declaration for rail safety and security by the attendees.
- Pankaj Kumar Singh, Deputy National Security Adviser to the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, gave the valedictory address on the final day of the conference.
Key Points:
i. Pankaj Kumar Singh highlighted the outstanding contribution made by the Railway Protection Force to improving passenger security in India through various initiatives like Operation Nanhe Farishte for the rescue of children and Operation AAHT for the release of women and children from the grasp of traffickers.
ii. He urged for the adoption of new technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), 5G, and IoT (Internet of Things) among others to develop complete solutions for railway security that address all facets of the railway system, including infrastructure, operations, and passenger experience.
Jaipur Declaration:
i. The “Jaipur declaration” was read out by Sanjay Chander, Director General, RPF who has taken over as the Chairman of UIC Security Platform from July 2022 to July 2024.
- It is to explore innovative approaches that can help global Railway organizations achieve their long-term goal of safety and security.
ii. The declaration highlighted UIC’s commitment to work towards providing a more secure rail network around the world by fully activating the regional assemblies for the Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and Africa by 2025.
Recenet Related News:
On 5th January 2023, Dr Jitendra Singh, Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Science and Technology, inaugurated the “National Genome Editing & Training Centre” (NGETC) at the National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI), under the Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology, in Mohali, Punjab.
- Dr Jitendra Singh also launched a 4-day International Conference on Food and Nutritional Security 2023 (iFANS-2023), which takes place from 6th to 9th January 2023.
About International Union of Railways (UIC) or Union International Des Chemins:
Chairman- Krzysztof Mamiński
Director-General- François Davenne
Headquarters- Paris, France
Establishment- 1922
About Railway Protection Force (RPF):
Director General- Sanjay Chander IPS
Headquarters- New Delhi, Delhi
Establishment- 1957 (Constituted as a federal Force)
