I am especially pleased at the privilege afforded me as Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), to participate in this Opening Ceremony of the Eighth Meeting of the CARICOM Council for National Security and Law Enforcement (CONSLE).

This pleasure is derived in part from the fact that this is the first time since your inaugural meeting in Port- of- Spain in 2005 that I am addressing this Council but moreso from the fact that since then Heads of Government have ensured that our integration movement is even more solidly grounded by adding a fourth pillar: Security Co-operation.

Furthermore, this Meeting allows me to be in Suriname, a country which became a member of the Community later than most, but which has certainly become one of the most active and committed Member States of CARICOM. I would like to thank the Government of Suriname for readily agreeing to be host to this event and I believe I speak for all present, in acknowledging the warmth and generosity of the Government and People of Suriname and the excellent arrangements that have been put in place for this meeting.

I also wish at this time to acknowledge the work of the CARICOM Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS) in advancing the regional agenda for crime and security and the work of the Security Policy Advisory Committee (SEPAC). I also commend the officials from Member States and Agencies, who under the able chairmanship of Ms Astona Browne, Permanent Secretary, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of National Security, Immigration and Foreign Affairs, St Kitts and Nevis did yeoman work over the past two days in preparing for this Meeting of the Council.

Honourable Ministers, distinguished ladies and gentlemen: When the Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community mandated the establishment of this new ministerial body in 2006, among its primary responsibilities was a formidable regional security agenda in preparation for the International Cricket Council (ICC) Cricket World Cup (CWC) 2007. The successful execution of the security operations for CWC 2007 is now history and the Region is undoubtedly richer for the legacies left in our regional security landscape.

The successful conduct of security operations for CWC 2007 has produced a template for Regional Security Operations for major international events in the region, for example, that experience contributed in no small measure to the successful security operations for the recently concluded Fifth Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago. It is anticipated that the Commonwealth Heads of Government Conference also to be held in Trinidad and Tobago in November this year and the International Cricket Council’s Champions Trophy in 2010 will also see a similar successful regional approach to security operations.

Mr Chairman, ladies and gentlemen, in being made responsible for the coordination of the multi-dimensional nature of security to ensure a safe and stable Community, CONSLE has been mandated to address some specific concerns. I wish to flag two of those: Firstly, it is your obligation to “promote the development of a common regional security strategy to complement the national security strategies of Member States of the Community” and secondly to “establish strategic partnerships with third states and regional and international agencies in the furtherance of regional security and of the Community as a zone of peace with stable democracies.”

Significant strides have been made in the development of a regional crime and security strategy. What however must be heightened are the efforts to give effect to this strategy by implementing legislation and treaties to deal with border security, maritime regulations, and a justice protection system. No matter how much assistance may be forthcoming from our external partners however, the biblical injunction that God helps those who help themselves stands true.

In that regard, there are the legal arrangements related to establishing security as the fourth pillar of our Community. This requires the incorporation of CONSLE as an Organ of the Community and IMPACS as an institution into the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas. Regrettably, the relevant Protocol is yet to be signed by at least six Member States. I wish to add my voice to that of the Conference of Heads of Government which at its Twentieth Intersessional Meeting held in Belize in March 2009 urged Member States which have not yet signed to do so with utmost urgency.

I note also that the drafting and ratification of the important legal framework for the implementation of the Advance Passenger Information System (APIS) and the Advance Customs Information System (ACIS) are still pending. I want to encourage Member States to enact the required legislation as a matter of priority.

Another critical element for the crime and security agenda is the development of the Regional Integrated Ballistic Information Network (RIBIN). The implementation of this Network will represent an important law enforcement tool which will provide forensic experts and police investigations with more timely information about crimes, guns and suspects.

On the international front: through the commendable efforts of the CONSLE and the CARICOM Secretariat a partnership has been forged with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and its office will soon be back in operation in the Caribbean. The overall objective of the CARICOM – UNODC Security Cooperation Programme is to support the efforts of Member States to respond to evolving human security threats and promote good governance, with a focus on achieving clear outcomes with a tangible impact.

The partnership has already spawned the development of a draft “CARICOM Social and Development Crime Prevention Action Plan (2009-2013)”, which focuses on five elements:

(i) reducing violence,
(ii) fostering social inclusion,
(iii) promoting reintegration,
(iv) empowering victims and
(v) protecting the environmental and economic resources.

The main target groups are broadly two:

a) children and youth at risk of engaging in drug abuse, violent behaviour and criminal activities, groups exposed to high levels of violence, and those already in conflict with the law; and

b) institutions in particular the police, judiciary, prison system and school system.

I cannot stress enough how important it is that this action plan on crime prevention be treated with utmost urgency and that the appropriate steps are taken to ensure its synergy with our evolving Regional Crime and Security Strategy.

In this effort, in addition to UNODC another key strategic partner in security arrangements is the United States. This was underlined yesterday at the first technical meeting aimed at a formal CARICOM-US security cooperation relationship. That meeting coming so soon after the United States President Barack Obama made his announcement at the Fifth Summit of The Americas in Trinidad and Tobago with respect to a $30 million injection of funds to aid the security agenda, augurs well for the preparation of a new Caribbean Basin Security Initiative.

This seems to be all the more so following the presentation by Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affair, Tom Shannon, to the Twelfth Meeting of the Council for Foreign and Community Relations (COFCOR) in Jamaica on May 8. This relationship would, no doubt, be followed up by our Foreign Ministers at the OAS General Assembly in San Pedro Sula, Honduras when they meet with United States Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton in early June. 

Mr Chairman, the Agenda before us requires decisions to be taken on a number of critical issues, not the least of which is the CARICOM Travel Pass (CARIPASS). I sincerely hope that the issues which threaten to delay its implementation later this year will be adequately addressed in this meeting. The people of the Caribbean would welcome this initiative as a tangible expression of what being a member of the Caribbean Community means.

Ladies and Gentlemen, the key to our success in combating security challenges will be to reconcile the relationship between security and development, and to move forward with an integrated, multidimensional approach that emphasizes greater cooperation and partnership to confront common challenges.

It is my hope that at the end of this Meeting, we would have not only advanced that process but also clearly defined the Regional Security Agenda. More than that, it is my hope that we will also be assured of the next steps required in order to ensure effective implementation of the Regional Action Plan, in the context of commitments made among ourselves and with our security partners. Success in that regard would take us further along the road towards achieving the viable, sustainable, prosperous and secure Community for All, to which this Region so ardently aspires.

Ladies and Gentlemen: your work here over the next two days can therefore make an outstanding contribution to the achievement of that historic goal.

As I close, I wish you happy co-operation for our development, or as our Surinamese hosts would say: happy samenwerking for our ontwikkeling!

I thank you

CONTACT: piu@caricom.org