OAS playing integral role in fight against violence, crime
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DPI, Guyana, Friday, August 24, 2018
The Organisation of American States (OAS) has been playing an integral role in the fight against violence and crime across the Caribbean and Central America, however, Assistant Secretary-General Ambassador Nestor Mendez said much more can be done to curb the social maladies.
Assistant Secretary General of the OAS, Ambassador Nestor Mendez
Ambassador Mendez was delivering a lecture last evening on the “role of the OAS in global development” at the University of Guyana (UG).
“We have new threats that governments are struggling to deal with, these are challenges, not only for the small countries of our region, these are challenges from big countries,” he told the gathering in the Education Lecture Theatre (ELT).
Some of these security threats include cybercrime, natural disasters, and food, the official said.
Ambassador Mendez said many countries are fighting threats of cybercrime and are guarding their systems with automated programmes.
In Guyana, Ambassador Mendez said, the OAS has been working with the government to address these kinds of threats.
“We are working for instance with the governments to train their people to establish rapid response teams from within their own ranks, who will be able to react immediately upon the detection of such threats on their systems.”
Extensive training was also provided to the Guyana Police Force (GPF) in all areas of security. He said the OAS has been placing much emphasis on issues relating to crime and violence and ways through which they could be reduced.
The Organisation of American States (OAS) is a continental organisation founded in 1948 for the purposes of regional solidarity and cooperation among its member states.
Its objectives are rooted in five pillars including promoting democracy, defending human rights, ensuring a multidimensional approach to security, fostering integral development and prosperity and supporting Inter-American legal cooperation.
Alexis Rodney
Image: Ministry of Foreign Affairs