Jamaica’s Minister of National Security says world economic turmoil could have catastrophic effect on CARICOM
OCHO RIOS, Jamaica – “Merciless, terrifying and frighteningly magnified,” this is how Jamaica’s Minister of National Security described the crime situation facing CARICOM today (Feb 13).
Senator The Honorable Colonel Trevor MacMillan made the remarks at the opening ceremony of the 12th Joint Meeting of CARICOM’s Standing Committees of Commissioners of Police and Military Chiefs, currently underway at the Sunset Jamaica Grande Hotel in Ocho Rios Jamaica.
The Minister called on Member States represented and Regional Authorities to keep security high on the agenda, despite severe resource constraints imposed by the world economic crisis. “Funds are short and are likely to be short for sometime to come as budgetary cuts are inevitable due to the likelihood of dwindling revenues to Governments’ coffers,” Minister MacMIllian said.
High level delegations from Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, The Cayman Islands, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat, St.Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, and Trinidad and Tobago listened intently as the Minister elaborated the paradox, that while our security forces will be affected by the realities which confront us, it is on they who we will have to rely to wrestle with the domestic security problems that mount daily.
The Meeting itself, which lasts for two days, is coordinated and facilitated by CARICOM’s Implementation Agency for Crime and security. The Agency’s Executive Director Ms Lynne Anne Williams, payed tribute to the Government and People of Jamaica, acknowledging both Jamaica’s role in hosting the meeting, and its continued commitment to collective anti-crime action in the face of global economic uncertainties.
Ms Williams highlighted the importance of this to the current reality saying, that the traditional nation based approaches of the past were unequal to the most pressing challenges of the present. On the matter of the meetings agenda Ms. Williams indicated that delegates will discuss a range of issues critical to regional security, stemming from commitments made in April last year in Trinidad and Tobago, during the 13th Special Meeting of Heads of Government including, Improved information and intelligence sharing initiatives, Small Arms and Light Weapons reduction initiatives, the development and implementation of the Regional Integrated Ballistics Information Network, the development of a regional forensics capacity and the development of a Human Resource Data-base for Law Enforcement.
An in-depth discussion and analysis of the current security environment in Haiti and its consequent impact on neighboring CARICOM Member States is also included on the programme.
Chief of Defence Staff of the Jamaica Defence Force Major General Stewart Saunders welcomed delegates to Jamaica. The opening ceremony was chaired by former Jamaican Commissioner of Police now the director of IMPACS Liaison Office Mr. Francis Forbes.
The meeting which continues tomorrow is being chaired jointly by Colonel Alvin Quintyne Chief of Staff of the Barbados Defence Force and Chair of the Standing Committee of Military Chiefs along with Commissioner Hardley Lewin of the Jamaican Constabulary Force, interim Chair of the Standing Committee of Commissioners of Police.
