Cooperation with the US – The Caribbean Basin Security Initiative(CBSI)
The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the United States have enjoyed longstanding, co-operative and mutually beneficial relations – a recent manifestation of this being the launch of the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI). Caribbean Governments have long realised that it was not feasible to address the issue of crime and crime-related activities without the support and input of the United States.
The Region finds itself strategically but disadvantageously placed between large drug producing countries to the South and their largest market, the US. CARICOM Heads of Government and Foreign Ministers have repeatedly made the point in their interface with US authorities that the magnitude of the challenge far surpasses the resources of the Community, and have underscored the need for assistance in this area, as well as for the improved flow of information on a need-to-know basis. They have also expressed their concern over the negative spill-over effect of regional initiatives such as the Merida Initiative and the Central American Regional Security Initiative, especially since the disruption to the drug trade in those trafficking corridors has led to an increase in trafficking in the Caribbean.
In response to these concerns, acknowledging that our nations’ security interests were intertwined and following-up on the Obama Administration’s commitment at the Fifth Summit of the Americas (April 2009, Trinidad and Tobago) to launch a “new chapter of engagement” between the US and the Caribbean, Caribbean-US discussions on Caribbean Regional Security Cooperation commenced in Suriname in May 2009. The process culminated in the Inaugural Caribbean-US Security Cooperation Dialogue which was held in Washington, D.C., USA on 27 May 2010.
During the Inaugural Meeting, Heads of Delegations signed the Declaration of Principles on Security Cooperation, which served as the formal beginning of the partnership between the two (2) Sides (It should be noted that the Dominican Republic also participated in the Cooperation Dialogue as an additional partner in this multi-state approach to addressing regional security issues. The DR indicated that it was open to sharing its experiences with the US as well as with its sister countries of the Caribbean, and was willing to learn from their experiences). The Declaration provides the principles, framework and key objectives which will guide the activities carried out under the Initiative.
In keeping with the decision of the Inaugural Security Cooperation Dialogue, the First Meeting of the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI) Commission was convened on 3-4 November 2010 in Kingston, Jamaica. The Meeting of the Commission was convened with a view to advancing discussions previously held regarding the coordination and implementation phase. The Meeting resulted in a number of key outcomes, including policy and programme coordination; commencing preparations for the convening of the Second Caribbean-US Security Cooperation Dialogue and the establishment of the initial four (4) Technical Working Groups (TWGs) under the themes:
Aerial and Maritime Awareness Domain;
Law Enforcement Information Sharing;
Law Enforcement and Cooperation Building; and
Crime Prevention by focusing on Youth and the At-Risk Population.
During the First Meeting of the Commission, it was agreed that the Commission would serve as the formal coordinating body of the CBSI.
Cooperation with the UK
The CARICOM/UK Security Cooperation Plan was adopted in October 2004 in Jamaica. The Plan which is currently being implemented focuses on law enforcement and reform of the security sector in four (4) strategic priority areas:
border Security;
regional Maritime Cooperation;
establishment of a Regional Information and Intelligence Sharing Network; and
training of Security and Law Enforcement Officials.
