OAS in Trinidad and Tobago Calls on Ministers of PublicSecurity in the Americas to Debate Police Management in the Hemisphere

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad – The Third Meeting of Ministers Responsible for Public Security in the Americas (MISPA III) will be held on November 17 and 18 in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, to discuss and provide recommendations on the situation of police management in the hemisphere, a key issue for achieving better security for the citizens of the Americas.

The meeting, organized by the Organization of American States (OAS) and part of the preparatory events for the Sixth Summit of the Americas to take place in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, in April 2012, will be inaugurated by the Secretary General of the OAS, José Miguel Insulza; the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Kamla Persad-Bissessar; and the country’s Public Security Minister, John Sandy.

During the two-day forum, the ministers will focus on three areas of discussion: modernizing police institutions within a democratic framework; supporting police professionalization and training; and strengthening cooperation on police information systems and enhanced use of technology. After the event, countries are expected to institutionalize the process of MISPA through the adoption of the Document of Port of Spain.