October 2005

1
Surviving The 2005 WTO MeetingPossible Impact,
Business Continuity Risk Mitigation

• October 2005

2
Presentation Goals Objectives

• Discuss history of events associated with WTO
  conferences in other locations.
• Identify pressure groups likely to attend the
  Hong Kong event and identify possible threat
  scenarios.
• Discuss potential location-specific impact.
• Identify business continuity concerns.
• Identify practical risk mitigation measures.

3
WTO What It Is What It Does

• The Self-Description Founded in 1994, The
  World Trade Organization (WTO) is the only global
  international organization dealing with the rules
  of trade between nations. At its heart are the
  WTO agreements, negotiated and signed by the bulk
  of the worlds trading nations and ratified in
  their parliaments. The goal is to help producers
  of goods and services, exporters, and importers
  conduct their business.

4
WTO Why Some People Are Against It?

• The ability to become an exporter is perceived to
  require a civilization embrace Western education
  systems, Western economic policy, and,
  inevitably, Western culture.
• Some see this process as allowing trans-national
  corporations to pillage nations that are willing
  to sell right to land at incredibly low prices
  due to desperation or ignorance.
• Some opponents also claim that globalisation has
  created unsustainable growth that will have a
  detrimental effect on the environment.

5
WTO A History Of Violent Protest

• Geneva Violence 1998.
• Cancun Violence 2003.
• Seattle 1999. Worst case of violence.
• Police prepared for more than one year and were
  warned in advance that violent protest was
  likely.
• Police still failed to cope with the protests in
  spite of significant preparation.
• State of emergency called, National Guard
  deployed 600 people arrested. Innocent
  bystanders caught up in police crackdown.
• Property damage and lost business in excess of
  US20 million.
• Police admitted they were taught a hard lesson by
  a well-trained and well-organized adversary.
• Police also admitted that not focusing on worst
  case scenarios was the wrong thing to do.

6
WTO Pressure Groups

• Sierra Club North American Pressure group with
  global connections.
• Korean Peasants League Korean Farmers
  Association Plan to send more than 1,000
  protesters.
• Greenpeace Rainbow Warrior arriving in October.
• Indonesian Fishermen Plan to protest in the
  harbour using fishing boats.
• Hong Kong People Alliance on WTO Plan peaceful
  demonstrations, could be hijacked by other
  pressure groups.
• Numerous smaller groups with unknown agenda.
• Total number of protesters expected 6,000
  20,000

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WTO Pressure Groups

• Three levels of protest
• Capturing public awareness. Typically peaceful
  protesting (banners, people attached to
  buildings), and other publicity stunts.
• Disrupting the conference Through peaceful as
  well as violent protest. Generally by blocking
  delegates from attending the conference or
  attacking the venue itself.
• Wreaking havoc on the area surrounding the
  conference. Normally violent in nature and may
  involve attacking premises belonging to
  multi-national corporations and retail outlets.
  This involves vandalism or looting.

8
WTO Pressure Groups

• The WTO conference significantly increases the
  threat of terrorism.
• It is widely believed that Asia could become a
  target for a significant terrorist incident in
  the short term
• Press releases have names Singapore and Tokyo as
  the most likely potential targets
• However, if we accept that the prime motivation
  for terrorist attacks is to gain publicity, then
  what better target than Hong Kong during the WTO
  conference in December when the world will be
  watching Hong Kong?

9
WTO Will Hong Kong Suffer The Same Fate?

• Hong Kong does not lend itself to large numbers
  of international protesters due to travel
  distances and is expensive once in country.
• The Chinese government is perceived to be strong
  in response to demonstrations.
• The Hong Kong Police are identified as being
  proactive and prepared.
• Home grown pressure groups are generally regarded
  to be peaceful.

10
WTO Will Hong Kong Suffer The Same Fate?

• In view of this, it is not likely that Hong Kong
  will see the numbers of protesters, nor the level
  of violence seen at the Seattle conference.
• Violence will likely occur, but a firm response
  from law enforcement agencies is expected.
• Nevertheless, significant disruption to business,
  primarily in Wanchai, is expected.

11
WTO Location Specific Impact

• Based on past incidents and the lessons learned,
  Hong Kong police will likely prepare for the
  worst case scenarios, and population control will
  be very stringent.
• Because of the population and infrastructure
  density, the impact of the WTO conference on the
  local community is likely to be significant with
• Large scale disruption to ground transportation
  (ferry, MTR, bus and taxi services).
• Disruption on building walkways.
• Disruption of building access.

12
WTO Business Continuity Concerns

• Transportation to Wanchai offices will likely be
  sporadic and unreliable.
• Access to offices will be difficult and
  potentially hazardous. Underground car parking
  is likely to be stringently controlled.
• If violence erupts in the first days, employees
  are not likely to return to their offices on
  subsequent days.
• Office deliveries (courier services etc.) are
  likely to be disrupted.

13
Practical Risk Mitigation Measures Building
Management

• Police deployment is likely to be concentrated on
  the street, leaving buildings to their own
  devices. Building solutions should include
• Production of a crisis management plan.
  Including partial and total building evacuation
  procedures.
• Increased level of physical guarding at access
  points and public areas.
• Enhanced guard-force training.
• Increased level of CCTV monitoring and recording.
• Control over access to vehicular parking,
  searches should be considered.
• More stringent control over office tower vertical
  transportation.
• More stringent after-hours monitoring of
  buildings.

14
Practical Risk Mitigation Measures Building
Management

• Ensuring security is planned from a holistic
  viewpoint, taking into consideration
• Staffing, policies procedures
• Electronic systems
• Architectural security elements

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Practical Risk Mitigation Measures Businesses

• Carry out an independent risk assessment,
  identifying
• Whether you company is likely to be a target.
• Proximity of your office to the conference centre
  and likelihood of the event impacting your
  operation.
• Security provisions that your building will
  implement, ascertaining whether they are (a) good
  enough, and (b) whether they will have an impact
  on your operation.
• Whether there are any adjacency issues or
  concerns.
• Whether you need to enhance your own security.
• Prepare your own crisis management and business
  continuity plan.

16
Practical Risk Mitigation Measures Businesses

• Personnel safety is of primary importance.
  Operate with a skeleton crew if your office is in
  the immediate vicinity. Alternatively, work from
  home.
• Prepare for disruption
• Assume the transportation system will be
  disrupted.
• Consider setting up a secondary office away from
  Wanchai.
• Do not plan to have visitors to the office that
  week.
• Prepare to have no, or, disrupted mail
  deliveries. Designate another mail delivery
  location if necessary.
• Make sure all employees are aware of your crisis
  management plan and that they all have the
  telephone numbers of the local emergency services.

17
Kroll Independent Security Consultants

• Kroll have a wealth of experience, covering
• Threat risk profiling
• Vulnerability assessments
• Security, crisis management, emergency response
  and business continuity planning
• Integrated security systems design
• Peer review of existing solutions
• Executive protection travel planning

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Kroll Independent Security Consultants

• Contact
• Philip Lomax, CPP
• Kroll Security Group
• 1701 1702 Central Plaza
• 18 Harbour View Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong
• Tel. [phone]
• Fax [phone]
• Email plomax_at_krollworldwide.com