(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana – Tuesday, 19 November 2024): Addressing the surge of crime in the Region continues to be a priority for CARICOM Heads of Government. It is against this backdrop that the leaders, policymakers, technocrats, specialists and stakeholders will gather for the Second Regional Symposium: Violence as a Public Health Issue – The Crime Challenge, 22-23 November at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC) in Georgetown, Guyana.
The Symposium is expected to advance actionable solutions for implementation at the national level. Knowledge sharing on successful preventative interventions for crime and violence in the Caribbean will be a critical element of the Symposium. Regional examples will be highlighted as potential programmes for replication or scaling up across the Caribbean.
Heads of Government will also participate in roundtable discussions focusing on Cultural Influences on Crime: The Role of Music and its Influence on Crime and the Reform of the Criminal Justice Sector and Offender Management.
Members of the media are asked to note the following details:
Opening Ceremony:
WHAT: Opening Ceremony | Second Regional Symposium: Violence as a Public Health Issue – The Crime Challenge
WHEN: Friday 22 November 2024 | Time: 9:00 AM AST (Subject to change)
WHERE: Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC), Greater Georgetown, Guyana
The Opening Ceremony will feature remarks by Dr Carla Barnett, CARICOM Secretary-General; Chair of CARICOM and Prime Minister of Grenada, Hon. Dickon Mitchell; H.E. Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali, President of Guyana; Dr the Hon. Keith Rowley, Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago and Lead Head with responsibility for Security; Hon. Mia Amor Mottley, SC. Prime Minister of Barbados and Host of the Second Regional Symposium on Crime and Violence as a Public Health Issue.
Heads of Government Roundtables (Two)
WHEN: Friday 22 November 2024 | Time: 10:45 AM AST (Subject to change)
WHERE: Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC) | Greater Georgetown, Guyana
Photo Opportunities
Members of the media who will be present (in person) to cover the Symposium will be invited to capture the official photo. The CARICOM Secretariat will also share images of the Symposium via its official Flickr page.
Declaration
A declaration will be shared at the end of the Symposium.
Media Accreditation Representatives of the media are invited to register for the Symposium by clicking here.
Virtual Coverage
Media representatives may also follow the opening ceremony and roundtable discussions via CARICOM’s social media platforms.
Additional information:
Inaugural Regional Symposium Addressing Crime and Violence as a Public Health Issue | 17-18 April 2023
At the Forty-Fourth (44th) Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM held in Nassau, The Bahamas, from 15-17 February 2023, CARICOM Heads of Government agreed that the Government of Trinidad and Tobago would host the first symposium to consider crime as a public health concern. This follows the decisions taken by the Heads of Government in 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022 to convene such a meeting, the plans for which were delayed by the onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic.
CARICOM and the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago hosted the inaugural symposium on 17 and 18 April 2023 under the chairmanship of Dr the Hon. Keith Rowley, Prime Minister of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, and Lead Head with responsibility for Crime and Security.
Themed “Violence as a Public Health Issue – The Crime Challenge”, the Symposium sought to promote dialogue and regional action aimed at violence reduction and crime prevention. The two-day activity emphasised a holistic system approach, particularly a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach, which included collaboration with relevant agencies, organisations and sectors at different levels, including civil society, business, community, families and individuals.
The topics discussed over the two days included Violence and Health in the Region, Crime and Violence: A Public Health Approach, Mental Health, Transnational Organised Crime, Using Litigation to Protect Gun Violence – Global Action on Gun Violence, Trans-Border Crime, Education and Youth, Domestic Violence, Economic Inequalities as the Driver of Crime and Violence, Community approaches- Restorative Justice, Sports and Mediation, and the Judicial Perspective- Legislation and Juvenile Justice Reform.
The Symposium culminated with a declaration by Heads of Government on a war on guns. Heads expressed their concern at the increase in the illegal exportation of guns from the United States of America, which they referred to as a direct threat to democracy.
They declared a “War on Guns” to combat the illegal trade which provides the weapons that contribute significantly to crime and violence in the Caribbean, causing death, disabilities and compromising the safety of citizens.
Heads called for collaborative action with the United States of America, stating, “We call on the United States of America to join the Caribbean in our War on Guns and urgently adopt and take action to stop the illegal exportation of firearms and ammunition into the Caribbean.”
CARICOM Heads also noted the disproportionate share of national budgets to address crime, violence and national security, as well as mental health and other health-related challenges that directly result from the illegal exportation of guns to the Region.
Heads asserted, “We underscore our commitment to utilise all human, financial and other resources to rid our Region of the scourge of illicit weapons.”
They reiterated that the Caribbean must be a Zone of Peace, allowing the Region to achieve “our goal of a secure, stable and prosperous Community for all our citizens.”
The Region benefitted from significant outcomes following the first Regional Symposium. These are summarised below:
May 2023
Consolidated Framework on Crime and Violence as a Public Health Issue
In May 2023, following the inaugural symposium, a Consolidated Framework that outlined short-, medium- and long-term needs and priorities for crime prevention at the regional, national, and community levels was developed.
June – July 2023
Consultations with Health Sector
From June-July 2023, regional consultations were held with the health sector on integrating the public health approach into the Consolidated Framework; international health organisations participated in the consultations.
September 2023
Human Impacts of Autonomous Weapons
A two-day regional Conference on the Human Impacts of Autonomous Weapons was convened in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, 5-6 September 2023. The Declaration represented a significant step for the Region in advancing CARICOM’s position regarding autonomous weapons systems. The Conference was hosted by the CARICOM Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS) in collaboration with the Office of the Attorney General, Trinidad and Tobago, Soka Gakkai International and Stop Killer Robots.
Reduced Access to Assault Weapons
In September 2023, a Project Partnership Agreement was signed by the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), CARICOM Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS), The University of the West Indies – George Alleyne Chronic Disease Research Centre (GA-CDRC) and Small Arms Survey (SAS). This development will support coordinating and implementing additional research-associated activities to strengthen the Research and Policy Perspectives under this pillar.
October 2023
Caribbean Youth Summit
In October 2023, CARICOM and the Caribbean Regional Youth Council, in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and other key stakeholders, organised a Caribbean Youth Summit 2023 under the theme, “Securing Our Future: Youth Co-Creating a Peaceful and Sustainable Caribbean Community”.
January 2024
CBSI Technical Working Group on Addressing Crime by Focusing on At-Risk Youth and Vulnerable Populations
In January 2024, the CARICOM Secretariat continued collaborating with the United States Agency for International Development and the Dominican Republic through the Technical Working Group (TWG) on Addressing Crime by Focusing on At-Risk Youth and Vulnerable Populations under the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI). The Twelfth Meeting of the TWG was held under the theme “Adaptive Management in Citizen Security. Critical areas for discussion included “Evidence Driven Approaches to Reduce Youth Crime and Violence” and “Understanding the Public Health Approach to Crime and Violence”.
May 2024
CARICOM IMPACS, US and Regional Partners Discuss Firearms Collaboration
The reduction of the high rates of crime and violence fueled by illicit firearms trafficking was the topic of discussion at a meeting hosted by the Caribbean Community Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (CARICOM IMPACS) on 9 May 2024, in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.
The hybrid meeting, which was attended by United States (US) partners and CARICOM Commissioners of Police, explored ways to further improve the collaboration with the CARICOM Crime Gun Intelligence Unit (CGIU) to not only stem the wave of firearms-related crimes which are pervading the Caribbean Region’s national and regional borders but to successfully prosecute all those who are involved in the illicit firearms trade.
To support the CGIU and its work in countering firearms and narcotics trafficking, Her Excellency Candace Bond, US Ambassador to Trinidad and Tobago, announced that the US was pleased to be able to donate a 75-inch interactive smartboard, 14 Samsung 27-inch monitors, and a four-year-old Belgian Malinois sniffer dog trained to detect narcotics, firearms, and ammunition.
Anti-Corruption Conference
In May 2024, the 27th Meeting of the Council for National Security and Law Enforcement (CONSLE) approved the roadmap towards greater Caribbean cooperation and coordination on anti-corruption and illicit finance following the Anti-Corruption Conference held in Miami, Florida.
November 2024
PAHO Engagement to Develop Subregional Cooperation Strategy
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is collaborating with CARICOM in developing a Subregional Cooperation Strategy that will guide technical cooperation in the Sub-Region from 2025-2029 to address critical health challenges. One of the significant advancements in this strategic priority is the inclusion of a key deliverable to address violence. This decision reflects an understanding that violence is not only a public health issue but also a barrier to achieving overall well-being and development. By prioritising violence prevention and control, this initiative aligns itself with regional efforts mandated by CARICOM Heads of Government to foster safer communities across the community.
