Above: CARICOM Secretary General Irwin LaRocque (UN Photo/JC McIlwaine)
By the Caribbean Journal staff
The Caribbean Basin Security Initiative, a partnership between CARICOM, the United States and the Dominican Republic launched in 2009, is producing tangible results, according to CARICOM Secretary General Irwin LaRocque.
The Secretary General, who was speaking at the Third Meeting of the Caribbean-United States Security Cooperation Dialogue in Port of Spain, said CARICOM States were reporting illicit drug, small arms and light weapons seizures at record levels.
“CBSI-sponsored projects with vulnerable populations such as at-risk youth have provided sustainable, gainful activity and, in some cases, reduced recidivism rates,” he said. “Our maritime borders have been strengthened through the Secure Seas Initiative with the provision of interceptor vessels and related equipment to support interdiction operations. Training, technical assistance and mentoring have also been provided to Customs, Immigration, Police and Corrections Officers throughout the Region.”
LaRocque urged CARICOM’s partners in the CBSI as well as other countries involved in regional security to contribute to strengthening the Caribbean’s existing security mechanisms.
“It is indeed a partnership – a robust partnership that will be an on-going collaboration, drawing upon and assisting in developing the capacity of the Caribbean to address common security-related challenges with mutually beneficial initiatives and outcomes,” he said.