Caricom Secretary-General Irwin LaRocque has said the partnership between the US and the region in the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI) has produced real results in the form of higher drugs and arms seizures.
In his address at the Opening Ceremony of the Third High-Level Dialogue of the CBSI, held recently in Trinidad and Tobago, LaRocque said the CBSI has emerged as “more than a series of programmes,” as it is a “robust” partnership, drawing upon and assisting in developing the capacity of the Caribbean to address common security-related challenges with mutually beneficial initiatives and outcomes.
According to his address, which was released by the Caricom Secretariat, LaRocque said the Caribbean and the US have made significant progress under the rubric of the CBSI since its launch in 2010, while adding that the CBSI initiatives have produced tangible results.
These, he noted, include Caricom countries reporting illicit drug and small arms and light weapons seizures at record levels.
CBSI-sponsored projects with vulnerable populations such as at-risk youth have also provided sustainable, gainful activity and, in some cases, reduced recidivism rates, he added. Regional borders have also been strengthened through the Secure Seas Initiative with the provision of interceptor vessels and related equipment to support interdiction operations, he further said, while noting that training, technical assistance and mentoring have also been provided to Customs, Immigration, Police and Corrections Officers throughout the region.
LaRocque also said that the growth and depth of the CBSI have also garnered the attention of international partners, such as Canada, the UK, the EU, Spain, France and the Netherlands who have each made commitments for advancing the mandate and implementation of the initiative. “Caricom welcomes this significant and invaluable support. We however need to maximize the effectiveness and sustainability of such support, by avoiding the duplication of effort and ensuring coordination for a more effective impact,” he said.
The Secretary-General added that Caricom has taken a number of steps of its own volition to address crime in the region. In 2007, he noted, Heads of Government embraced security as the fourth pillar of the Community, established a regional framework for the management of crime and security and embarked upon intense intra-Community cooperation to address the increasing threats to the Region’s security and that of its citizens. Over the past year, Caricom has been reviewing its security architecture to ensure that it adequately serves the needs of the region, he further said.
He noted that the Caribbean has emerged as the first line of defence for the United States’ southern flank as it is the route through which illicit drugs flow and added that Caribbean States continue to demonstrate their willingness to assist in preserving hemispheric security and reaffirm their commitment to constructing a safer hemisphere.
LaRocque said the CBSI aims to further advance the commitment made by the Caribbean and the US to partner on security. The partnership highlights the “efforts to establish a more balanced relationship characterised by mutual respect and an acknowledgement of each other’s sovereign responsibilities to our respective citizenries, as well as the varying capacities of our States to deliver on these responsibilities.”
In this regard, he added that regional governments continue to embrace US President Barack Obama’s response to Caricom’s call for greater cooperation in regional security. “In meetings with the President, the US Secretary of State as well as other high-level Officials over the past two years, it has been made lucidly clear to us that the goal of the US is to deepen engagement with the Region through partnership,” LaRocque said.
