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I am pleased to be here in Washington DC today to participate in this inaugural Caribbean-United States Security Cooperation Dialogue.
I recall that it was approximately a year ago when the CARICOM Council for National Security and Law Enforcement met with a delegation from the United States in Suriname and agreed to the establishment of a Working Group “to craft a joint regional security strategy on an accompanying Plan of Action as well as a Provisional Agenda for the proposed high-level meeting in Washington DC.” At the time of your meeting, I was heading a delegation of CARICOM Attorneys-General in a caucus with the Attorney-General of the United States of America to discuss important matters relating to administration of Justice and Cooperation on crime and security matters. Today, after four formal meetings of the Joint Working Group and other meetings and exchanges, we have arrived at the point where later, in a partnership of cooperation, the Caribbean and the United States Governments will adopt a Joint Caribbean-United States Framework for Security Co-operation Engagement and a Plan of Action. We will also sign a Declaration of Principles. Mr. Chairman, you are aware that the Caribbean and the United States have a history of collaboration in crime and security matters. You would recall, sir, the May 1997 Bridgetown Declaration signed with President Clinton which established a partnership for prosperity and security in the Caribbean. In that document we pledged to work together on a number of justice security matters which have been reinforced in the documents before us today. At that time, the CARICOM side was concerned to ensure that its relationship with the United States adequately emphasized its own priorities, notably trade and economic development, since we are very much aware of the interdependence of these two critical areas in our fragile economies. The Third Border Initiative announced by President Bush in April, 2001 that built on the Bridgetown Partnership of 1997 also recognized the special significance of the Caribbean as an important partner of the United States. The United States has also played and continues to play a significant role in the Regional Security System (RSS), a mutual assistance organisation which was formed in 1982 among six independent OECS states and Barbados. In 1996, it was established as a Treaty Organisation “to promote cooperation among its Member States in the prevention and interdiction of traffic in illegal narcotic drugs, in national emergencies, search and rescue, immigration control, fisheries protection, customs and excise control, maritime policing duties, natural and other disasters, pollution control, combating threats to national security, the prevention of smuggling, and in the protection of off-shore installations and exclusive economic zones.” The RSS also works closely with non-RSS States, including the French, Dutch and British Overseas Territories, in counter-drugs and other activities. Mr. Chairman, CARICOM Heads of Government in recognition of the need to manage continuously and efficiently their security interests, agreed in July, 2005 to the establishment of a regional framework for the management of crime and security. This framework includes, among other things, a Council of Ministers with responsibility for National Security and Law Enforcement, as a separate and distinct body of CARICOM and an Implementation Agency for Crime and Security, IMPACS. The JRCC, Joint Regional Communication Centre and the RIFC, Regional Intelligence Fusion Centre, both sub-agencies of IMPACS play critical roles in the Regional Security Strategy. Both IMPACS and the JRCC have co-operative arrangements with the United States for exchange of information. In addition, CARICOM States in July 2006 concluded a Treaty on Security Assistance, with the RSS as the coordinating Secretariat. In recognition of the fundamental principle that national defence and security is a national responsibility, some of our Caribbean countries have also expended large sums of money in purchasing vessels and other apparatus to fight trans-border crime. Barbados and other Caribbean states have legislation which deal with proceeds from crime and the forfeiture of drugs and property from such activity. CARICOM countries were also forced during periods of lean economic activity, in the early years of this century, to look to other hemispheric partners and non-traditional partners for resources in support of the regional framework for crime and security. We note the presence of some partners here today and we look forward to their interventions in this process of collaboration and co-operation. Mr. Chairman, Barbados and the other Caribbean States are firmly of the view that security is multi-dimensional in nature and therefore requires a multi-dimensional, co-ordinated response. Barbados promoted this concept at the 2002 General Assembly of the Organization of American States held in Bridgetown. We recognized, as I am sure you will agree, that the realities of the globalised environment of the 21st Century call for new and non-traditional approaches to dealing with security issues, while at the same time respecting the sovereignty of our countries. The Caribbean has demonstrated its readiness to share in the responsibility for hemispheric security and we reaffirm our commitment to a safer hemisphere. The commitment to the Regional Security Management Framework and the investment over the past five years constitute tangible proof of the ongoing discharge of our collective regional responsibility. We are pleased that the new Obama Administration has sought very early to engage us in these security matters. We are aware that the successes of the Merida Initiative with Mexico and Central America makes it more pressing for the United States to engage the Caribbean, since an insecure Caribbean basin could become an Achilles heel for the United States of America. Mr. Chairman, I have been asked to speak on the strategic priority – Advance Public Safety and Security with focus on the Theme: Improved Law Enforcement Co-operation and Capacity. This strategic priority embraces the critical areas of: – crime and violence – border security – counter-terrorism – criminal gangs – natural and other disasters – criminal deportees Mr. Chairman, the Joint Working Group has concluded and we agree, that the process of engagement going forward would be the adoption and implementation of collaborative measures determined by Technical Working Groups. These groups would “meet on an ad hoc basis to advance technical co-operation on aspects of the Plan of Action and also to review implementation efforts, develop bench marks and propose additional measures.” In respect of the Technical Working Group on “Improved Law Enforcement Co-operation and Capacity,” it is considered that the Working Group “should focus broadly on building the capacity of the justice sector to fight violent and organized crime, as well as illicit trafficking of guns and drugs, money laundering, cyber crime and corruption.” When I reviewed the Terms of Reference and Guidelines which you have before you, I recognize that these are areas which have been occupying the attention of our regional Governments in various fora including CARICOM, Inter-American Committee on Terrorism (CICTE) and Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF), which is meeting next week in the Dominican Republic. We therefore wholeheartedly agree that serious consideration must be given in these Working Groups to the development of capacity building through training that focuses on: – counter narcotics – case management – intelligence as an aid to investigations – ethical policy/law enforcement – police reform Barbados considers that attention should be given to the development of a new and creative approach to the delivery of training through the establishment of centres for specialized training that are strategically positioned to facilitate access by all Member States. I am sure that the elements of this proposal can be further elaborated during the technical discussions. Mr. Chairman, as Attorney General, I am keenly interested in the development of programmes to modernize the justice sector through improved court administration and processes. Of particular interest are initiatives which will strengthen the overall management capacity of the justice sector through technological enhancement. We look forward to working with the Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security and Department of State in developing these initiatives. Mr. Chairman, we are very mindful, as states that subscribe faithfully to the rule of law, that the administration of justice must be maintained and enhanced so that justice is not only a matter of rhetoric but of deed. Accordingly we will protect astutely the administration of justice for all of our citizens and other persons within our territories. As we mentioned earlier, this is not the first instance of co-operation and collaboration. We can testify of the benefits to be had from this type of engagement and accordingly we are ready to participate in any process that will ensure the continuity of the partnership. We are particularly concerned that action is taken to ensure the sustainability of this partnership. Respecting our other partners, Caribbean States have always had good relationships with these states and we are pleased to continue these relationships in this setting. Mr. Chairman, the CARICOM Council of Ministers of Security and Law Enforcement is mindful of its role in ensuring that the best practices are adhered to as we engage in our work. We are committed to the realization of the goals of this partnership and providing the right leadership. |
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