Chicago Area Outreach to the National Strategy for Global Supply Chain Security

May 9, 2012

On behalf of the Cross-Sector Supply Chain Workgroup:

With the release of the President’s National Strategy for Global Supply Chain Security (the Strategy) in January 2012, the Department of Homeland Security and the Cross-Sector Supply Chain Workgroup (CSSCWG) are reaching out to state and local governments, and industry, on a regional level to conduct meetings to discuss the Strategy and a path forward for its implementation.  These outreach meetings seek to bring together parties to gather thoughts, comments, and concerns on how best to implement the Strategy. 

Specifically, we hope to gain input on the following:

• Opportunities to implement the goals of the Strategy and enhance the efficiency, security, and resilience of the global supply chain system.
• Understanding evolving threats/hazards (terrorist as well as natural) and vulnerabilities in the global supply chain as a whole and among different modes of transportation.
• International best practices, standards, or guidelines for reducing threats/ vulnerabilities and opportunities to encourage their global implementation.
• Opportunities for the U.S. Government to work in concert with industry and the international community to further strengthen the global supply chain system.

The Chicago area Strategy outreach meeting will be held on Thursday, May 24, 2012, from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. (local time), at the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, located at 200 E. Randolph Street, Suite 2200, Chicago, Illinois 60601.  The meeting will be held in the Burnham conference room.  Please RSVP for the event no later than 5/21/2012.  This meeting is being conducted by the CSSCWG under the auspices of the Critical Infrastructure Partnership Advisory Council, a body exempt from the Federal Advisory Committee Act, pursuant to Section 871 of the Homeland Security Act.  The meeting is closed to the press.

We look forward to engaging with you and others who have supply chain equities in the Strategy.  We encourage you to forward this letter to other members of industry and state and local government who may wish to participate.  Background information and links to the Strategy can be found at http://www.dhs.gov/globalsupplychain.