Hon Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda
Hon Prime Minister and Minister of National Security of Trinidad and Tobago
Hon Ministers of Government
Members of the Diplomatic Corps
Distinguished Delegates
Members of the Media
Ladies and Gentlemen

It is my pleasure to bring you greetings from the Secretary General of the Caribbean Community Secretariat and to welcome you all to this Fourth Inter Governmental Task Force (IGTF) Meeting. We are particularly glad to have in our midst Prime Ministers Bird and Panday which further underscores the importance that the Community places on drugs and national Security. Indeed under the new governance arrangements, it is important to recognize that Prime Minister Panday holds the regional portfolio for Drugs and National Security and it is to him the Community looks for guidance and direction on these matters. To him we offer a special welcome to IGTF. The presence of both Prime Ministers - the first time we have been graced with the presence of a Head of state, much less two--makes this meeting historic and special. And I am almost tempted to welcome them both to Antigua, but that will be the function of Prime Minister Bird..

THE MEETING CONTEXT

The Agenda for this meeting offers a double challenge, both in terms of the quality of the presentations and the number of important items requiring an action oriented approach and strategies for implementation. Several experts have been invited to share their knowledge and to discuss some of the critical issues on drug intelligence, strategies for combating violent crime, and strategies for a Caribbean demand reduction policy . However given the sensitivity of some of the issues, the agenda also makes provision for a closed session for regional officials only .

Unlike previous meetings, this one has not been preceded by a meeting of officials. The reason for this is simple. The Third Meeting in Dominica last year, had agreed on the Regional Coordination Policy Framework. The various elements of this coordinated policy have been the focus of specialized agencies on which our national representatives sit and through whom our national interests are represented. Chief among these are agencies represented by their top officials : In this regard I acknowledge the presence of Association of Caribbean Commissioners of Police (ACCP), Caribbean Customs Law Enforcement Council (CCLEC), Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) .

We acknowledge the value of collaboration with and the tremendous work undertaken by international and hemispheric agencies like UNDCP and CICAD which are well served by well sourced Secretariats, in terms in money and manpower. They provide examples of what can be achieved by effective coordinating mechanisms .

POLICY FRAMEWORK

Much has been said of the need to have a clear definition of Caribbean Policy in relation to Drugs Control, and this may well be true. It has even been said that the Region's agenda has been foreign driven. Views no doubt may well differ on these issues. What is no doubt obvious and perhaps necessary is the need for a review. Five years have passed since the Region enjoined in the Barbados Plan of Action and the Hemispheric Anti-Drug Strategy. Whether the review should be in the form of a Summit of high level officials , must be a matter to be addressed by this meeting. In this context, it would be good to draw attention to the contextual framework of this meeting.

Third Meeting of IGTF recognized the impact of the A B C Trade Mark of the Narco-trade on the Region . 1. The growing Abuse of illicit drugs which has led to increased Addiction; 2. the Big Business generated from the Money Laundering and 3. the Corruption and Crime which are left in the wake of the drug trade.

In our attempt to develop a Regional Policy to reduce abuse and addiction, that Meeting took the decision to set up a task force to conduct an assessment of the demand reduction situation in the Region with the intention to present its study to a Regional Forum or Round Table. The results from this activity will be presented to COHSOD V in October 2001. In this regard the Caribbean Community Secretariat wishes to acknowledge a grant from the British Government for an assessment which will be conducted by a joint UWI/Caribbean/ UK based Drugscope team to the tune of US$134,722. The outline of this project will be a subject for discussion at this meeting .

In relation to Big Business generated through money laundering, it would appear that our policy has been to hastily put in place measures which in some jurisdictions might well have served only to be a disincentive, resulting in the loss of big business to the particular economies. If this has resulted in the loss of undesired business, it would be good. If it has however caused the economies of some jurisdictions which rely on the off shore financial industry, to lose important legitimate business, then there is urgent need to reassess our policies.

In combating the threat of crime in particular, the CCS recognizes the role that ACCP must play, regionally. But Dr Harriott's presentation is intended to provide us with the opportunity to take a serious look at how we do business in the area of crime and public safety. Corruption needs to be addressed not only in the law enforcement agencies but at all levels. If one assumes the act of corruption commences in the motivation of the giver, it stands to reason that some attention should be paid to the domain from which corruption originates.

Also of great importance in the fight against crime is the need to support the law enforcement agencies with the necessary technological tools. `For this reason we have amended the agenda to include the fascinating presentation by SAGEM on surveillance techniques in the fight against crime.

CONCLUSION

The work of the IGTF is vital to the Community , moreso as we embark on accelerating the process of the Caribbean Single Market and Economy. The importance CSME need not detain us here but it cannot be over-emphasized especially in the context of globalization and the need to put in place robust and viable regional structures including the Caribbean Court of Justice. The work of IGTF is also very important in the context of the current thrust of the Council for Human and Social Development (COHSOD) which has adopted an integrated approach to its work under the theme "Investing in Human Capital with Equity".

The concerns over the primacy of Investing in Caribbean people to increase their human resource capability and the modalities of the inter-sectoral approach, have profound implications for the thrust of your deliberations. Drugs policies as well as national security policies are not mutually exclusive They take on additional meaning and importance with Integrated linkages with other sectoral activities such strategies on education, labour, culture, health, youth, sport and gender.

The current thrust of the Directorate of Human and Social Development, is in facilitating the establishment of national COHSODS, which would create greater synergies between the regional and national agendas. At the level of the national COHSODs, Ministers responsible for National Security issues have an opportunity to meaningfully discuss strategies developing in the social sectors with their colleague ministers and other technical representatives..

Most recently the Pan Caribbean Partnership on HIV/AIDS -- an epidemic that is ravaging the Caribbean as it is second only to Sub-Sahara Africa in the incidence of the disease--shows the great benefits to be derived from a multisectoral/inter-agency approach. Such an approach revolves around a regional action plan to combat HIV/AIDS, an Implementation Unit established with special funds in the Directorate of Human and Social Development, (CARICOM Secretariat), the vital roles by partners such as CAREC, UNAIDS, CHRC, CRN+ and UWI and a pool of resources to the partnership programmes in prevention and care, advocacy, institutional strengthening and resource mobilization, linking regional and national HIV/AIDS strategies.

This approach has been hailed as a model by UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, in his recent speech (May 2001) to the World Health Assembly in Geneva. The Region is preparing for the UN Assembly Special Session on HIV/AIDS 25-27 June, 2001. It is being led by Prime Minister Denzil Douglas, Minister with responsibility for the regional portfolio for Health and HIV/AIDS and also represented by Prime Minister Owen Arthur ( current Chair of the Community) , Prime Minister Ingram (of the Bahamas, in-coming Chair of the Community, Prime Minister, Said Musa (Belize) and several of the Region's Ministers of Health. This is a demonstration of commitment by the Community to the Pan Caribbean Partnership and a recognition of the need for a consolidated approach to fighting back against the ravages of this epidemic at the global level.

I mention the Pan Caribbean model to bring to your attention the severity of HIV/AIDS in this region but more specifically in the context of this meeting to suggest that based on this experience, we need to work assiduously to achieve a Caribbean model for drugs and national security. At the ACCP meeting in May 2001, Prime Minister Anthony of St. Lucia called for a Crime Commission.   Whatever we do, the Community must take the initiative in determining its Regional Drug Control Agenda. In this context, there are three important preconditions:

1. Drug demand reduction must be accorded the highest priority

2. In terms of supply management there are two inter-related activities:

a. Sovereignty must not be allowed to be employed as a shield for corrupt individuals including government officials in enforcing anti-drug legislation

b. Control of precursor chemicals by administrative and legislative action should be accorded high priority

3. The Region should be accorded financial and technical assistance in the implementation of the Regional Justice Protection Programme, the Regional Maritime Counter Drug Agreement and the Regional Mutual legal Assistance Agreement.

Donor support for these activities is in the interest of our international partners who after all are the ultimate beneficiaries of this critical investment in people and the sustainability rather than the destruction of their capability and humanity.

The Secretariat recognizes the heavy demands the agenda places on the participants at this meeting but we have confidence in the Chair and the entire body to rise to the challenge.