Q. What is the mission of the BIEC?
A. The Border Interagency Executive Council (BIEC) is an interagency working group established by Executive Order 13659 in February 2014. The BIEC provides strategic leadership and policy guidance to enhance coordination among over 50 partner government agencies (PGA) with border responsibilities. The BIEC serves as an executive advisory board and decision-making body charged with:
- Enhancing coordination across federal customs, trade, transport security, health, and safety, sanitary/phytosanitary, standards, conservation, law enforcement and statistical agencies; and
- Improving supply chain processes and the identification of illicit shipments.
Q. Who comprises the leadership and representation of the BIEC?
A. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) serves as BIEC Chair and oversees priority initiatives. A senior executive-level PGA representative serves as BIEC Vice-Chair on a two-year rotation. This role is currently held by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
Each PGA appoints a senior executive-level representative or appointee to serve as their agency’s BIEC Principal. Staff-level agency representatives may participate in the BIEC’s Working Level to represent their respective agency, as well as participate in or co-lead BIEC initiatives.
Q. What initiatives or programs is the BIEC actively working on?
A. The BIEC actively has four formalized BIEC initiatives, the International Mail Initiative (IMI), Joint Funding Initiative, Single Window Sustainment Initiative, and International Single Window Initiative (ISW).
Q. How are BIEC initiatives established?
A. Potential initiatives are proposed to the BIEC Principals during a BIEC Principals Meeting. Principals discuss and vote on the proposal. A proposal can be approved by BIEC Principals with a simple majority.
Q. How often are BIEC Principals Meetings held?
A. According to the BIEC Charter, BIEC Principals meetings are held tri-annually.