Guyana to be represented at fifth CBSI Commission meeting

GINA, GUAYNA, Friday, September 16, 2016

The Ministry of Public Security will be representing Guyana at the fifth Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI) Commission meeting. The meeting will be held in Trinidad and Tobago from September 29 to 30.

Minister of State Joseph Harmon said that a Research Officer from the Ministry of Public Security will attend the meeting. Minister Harmon made the disclosure at Thursday’s post -Cabinet press briefing.

“This meeting will be convened by the Caricom Secretariat to be part of the preparatory process for the sixth Caribbean United-States Cooperation Security Dialogue,” the Minister pointed out.

The fourth CBSI Commission meeting was held in Guyana in 2013. At that meeting, it was identified that there needs to be improvements in the efficient use of resources, information sharing and the establishment of minimum standards across the region.

The CBSI comprises the United States (US), CARICOM countries and the Dominican Republic. The objective of the partnership is to strengthen citizen security in the Caribbean Region through capacity building and cooperation in a number of areas such as law enforcement, justice sector reform, crime prevention and at risk youth.

The CBSI was established following the initial Caribbean-United States Security Cooperation Dialogue which was held in Washington, DC in 2009.

The next Caribbean-United States Security Cooperation Dialogue is scheduled for October in Washington, DC following the CBSI Commission meeting in Trinidad.

Guyana, under the CBSI programme has received more than US$900,000 to aid in reducing crimes in drug trafficking and to advance public safety and security, as well as to promote social justice.

Earlier this year, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) received a US$4.7M learning system from the US government through the CBSI programme. The equipment is to aid the GPF in local and international training and in the fight against transnational crime in a secure virtual environment. It was developed exclusively for Caribbean law enforcement bodies.

Meanwhile, Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan will attend the Inter-American Development Bank’s (IDB) 2016 Security Week in Buenos Aires, Argentina from September 26 to 29.

Minister Harmon said Guyana was invited to the meeting by the IDB and the Argentine government.

The 2016 Security Week hosts policy makers and programme directors in the area of crime and violence prevention in Latin America and the Caribbean.

“This activity will include the four regional dialogues on security policy by ministers of security and justice of the Latin America and the Caribbean and the eighth security clinic with experts in the security sector,” Minister Harmon said.

Regional Police Dialogue is a focal point of the Security Week meeting where authorities of the region discuss the challenges and progress of security policies.

The Security Week provides a platform where countries exchange knowledge and experiences on pressing challenges faced in the security sectors of Latin America and the Caribbean.