By Nigel Williams in Washington DC
Amid a deterioration of security in the region officials across the Caribbean have been urged to cooperate in the fight against crime.
The call was made yesterday at the conclusion of the Caribbean Defence and Security course held here in Washington over the past two weeks.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony, Director of the Center of Hemispheric and Defence Studies, Richard Downie urged the graduates to go back to their countries and put into practice some of things they had been taught.
Downie said that there was no one way of doing things, but he noted that as the threat to security become grave globally, Caribbean security leaders had to find common ground to fight crime. “We need to work together and that is the only way we can defeat our common enemy,” Downie.
Downie’s call yesterday had echoed similar sentiments by participants during the course. Participants had called for a more integrated defense structure within the region with suggestions that Caricom should either adopt the Regional Security System, which only encompasses the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States and Barbados. Harmonising laws to deal with some of the security challenges as they relate to the maritime zone, drug trafficking and disaster response were also discussed during the course.
Jamaican human rights activist, Carolyn Gomes said that the region’s biggest challenge is for the leaders to realize the benefits of cooperation.
She said the people are closer to accepting the need for cooperation on matters of security than the leaders are to giving up their power.
“So far as the region’s security remains unaddressed they would have failed us,” Gomes declared adding that while efforts are underway to achieve this cooperation, the architecture necessary remains unbuilt. She said the course was useful especially for the networking and dialogue and the opportunity to build shared understanding.
Domestic terrorism
PPP/C Member of Parliament, Irfaan Ali one of the five Guyanese participants told Stabroek News in an invited comment that the Bharrat Jagdeo administration would have no problem advocating deeper security ties in the region as it has only recently demonstrated its commitment to this.
“We recently hosted the meeting of the security chiefs and our country is willing and ready to support any regional response to crime and security threats,” Ali said. He remarked that in all we do we must ensure first and foremost that our internal territorial integrity is protected and that is, the borders of our conscience. The PPP/C MP underscored that Guyana stood to benefit greatly in any regional effort to combat crime, noting that the country was facing domestic terrorism, citing the two recent massacres in Lusignan and Bartica.
Lieutenant Colonel George Lewis of the Guyana Defence Force remarked that although the course was short it was very informative and educational. “It provided me with the opportunity to learn new concepts in relation to defense and the role of civilians in this process,” Lewis, who is the commanding officer of First Infantry Batallion said. He added that he was particularly heartened with learning more about defence management, accountability and the importance of having strong civil-military relationships in the defence and security of any nation. Asked whether his organization would be accommodating to these new concepts, Lewis answered in the affirmative, noting that the army has always been progressive and is disposed to changes once they are for the good of the organization.
In an invited comment Assistant Commissioner of Police, Krishna Lekraj said that he was extremely grateful for the opportunity afforded him to participate in the course. Lekraj said that during the two weeks his knowledge of the transnational nature of crime was deepened and to learn about the challenges faced by other countries has served him well. ”The course brought home knowledge of security realities of Caribbean countries,” Lekraj said. He added that the theoretical aspects of the course were very useful, noting that hopefully much of what he has learnt would aid in decision making. Lekraj is currently the commander of the West Coast Demerara region.
The two-week survey course was designed to help participants develop and expand their competence in analyzing issues and working with policy, strategy, planning, and resource management in the security/defense sector. During the course participants, drawn from the security sector and civil society studied international and national security environments and processes, as well as defense and security policy formulation and implementation, resource management, civilian-military and law enforcement cooperation, defence economics, transnational security issues, and interagency and international coordination in order to produce more effective national security and defence policies.
In addition to Ali, Lewis and Lekraj Guyana was represented by Stabroek News reporter, Nigel Williams and attorney-at-law, Camilla Edwards.
