Government believes that the success of the US-funded Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI) is important if countries in the region, including Guy-ana, are ever going to effectively deal with security challenges like at-risk youth, gun and drug crimes and human trafficking.
“We in this region are faced with significant crime and security challenges that require our collaborative effort and those of our international partners to address them,” Prime Minister Sam Hinds said in the feature address at the start of the Fourth Meeting of CBSI Commission at the Guyana International Conference Centre yesterday.
Hinds identified youth crimes and deviant behaviour, firearms trafficking and smuggling, the use of violence to resolve their differences, the rise of gun crimes, the challenges posed by the drug trade and its spinoffs, cybercrimes, and human trafficking as being among some of the issues that confront the region.
“The Government of Guyana is convinced that the crime and security challenges that face all of us demand that a holistic strategy should be employed to address them. If we in the region are to continue to develop and enhance the well-being of our citizens, we must, as a matter of necessity, take all steps to reduce crime and improve security in our countries.
If we fail to take action, we would not be able to sustain and grow our economy and our prosperity will suffer,” he said.
He added that the CBSI projects allow government to enhance the capacities of the law enforcement agencies and a significant portion of the funding is being used to address youths at risk.
“This approach is realistic and appropriate. It is our view in Guyana that we must seek to discourage youths from being involved in unproductive pursuits by guiding them towards a path to contribute to the productivity of our society,” Hinds also said, while underscoring the importance of strengthening the police and related agencies to reduce crime and violence in communities.
The CBSI was conceptualised at a meeting held in April 2009 in Trinidad and Tobago by US President Barack Obama at the 5th Summit of the Americas, where a multimillion-dollar package of support was announced by the USA to help Caribbean countries to address crime and security in a holistic manner.
The initiative, which involves the US, Caricom countries and the Dominican Republic, aims to build the capacity of Law Enforcement Agen-cies as well as focus on ventures targeting at risk youth.
Also speaking at the opening ceremony for the two-day meeting was US Ambassador Brent Hardt, who looked forward “a vigorous exchange of ideas” to integrate the efforts of all working groups and to chart a clear path for the implementation of the programmes and the achievement of the goals developed since the foundation of the CBSI.
Hardt also welcomed the active engagement of the Canadian Government, the European Union, the French, Dutch and many other partners who are making valuable contributions to the region’s security.
He said given its broad regional scope, it is important to recognise that the CBSI also provides a great vehicle through which nationals around the world with interests in the Caribbean can coordinate their regional activities at a cost that is more efficient and effective than multilateral efforts engage in.
He noted that over the past years, CBSI partners convened three technical working groups on law enforcement integrity and corruption, on crime prevention and on maritime and marine awareness. He said that these working groups met throughout the region.
“Each [working group] identified key regional priorities and areas for action and further follow up,” he explained, while adding that the technical working groups have facilitated constructive dialogue among CBSI partner nations that has allowed the coordination of local, international and regional security and crime prevention activities, policies and priorities.
“They have proven invaluable as a vehicle to inform our programming and funding of CBSI and it is our goal and our hope that they have served to refine and improve the individual and regional security efforts of all CBSI partners as well as that of other international donors with interest in the region,” he said.
