Crime and security are regional problems, requiring a regional solution, CARICOM Secretary General Irwin La Rocque asserted yesterday, lobbying for member states to fully cooperate to address the issues, and reminding of the passing of a strategy to address same.
La Rocque gave his address at the Caribbean Summit on Youth Violence Prevention yesterday, at the Marriott Hotel, Guyana.
The summit, which began on Tuesday and ended yesterday, was convened by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), in partnership with the Government of Guyana, the CARICOM Secretariat, UNICEF, the Caribbean Development Bank, the Commonwealth Secretariat, the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States Commission, and the Caribbean Learning for Youth Networking and Change Sessions (LYNCS) Network.
It brought together youth leaders from movements, governments, civil society and development organisations across the Caribbean, with the aim of designing “transformational youth-centred action to combat crime and violence and address constraints that youth activists face in improving safety outcomes in their communities”, the release said..
La Rocque, in his address, noted that in 2013, Heads of Government approved the CARICOM Crime and Security Strategy, which incorporates the CARICOM Social Development and Crime Prevention Action Plan. This plan, he informed, is founded on a multi-pronged approach, which includes crime prevention, justice reform, prison and corrections reform, capacity development with law enforcement and border security, as well as intelligence-led law enforcement.
“[It] aims at promoting sustainability and participatory approaches involving key stakeholders, for which youth form a key sector…Specifically, it calls for the promotion and support to youth-led violence prevention initiatives and the development of role models who appeal to youth risk”, he reportedly explained.
The release said that La Rocque made reference to recent regional studies conducted on crime, in which it was found that “majority of victims, as well as perpetrators recorded by the police are young males 18 to 35 years old, while 80 per cent of prosecuted crimes were committed by youth 19 – 29 years old”.
He highlighted the link between high youth unemployment within the region and criminal activity, stating that it was not the least among the socio-economic determinants, accounting for as much as 25%
However, it was noted that La Rocque did not dismiss the role of the family in tackling the issue of crime, reporting that he stated that “the core of the battle must be the home”, where the concept of toxic masculinity is first formed.
“Families have a vital role to play in turning the tide of this struggle. The universal values of love, hard work, honesty, character building, belief in self and self-respect are key weapons,” he stated.
