MINISTER of Home Affairs, Clement Rohee said the recent hosting of the Second Meeting of the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI) allowed Guyana the opportunity to showcase the initiatives that were taken at the policy and operational levels with respect to crime fighting, as well as demonstrated the strong bilateral relationship that Guyana and the United States (US) share.

The minister maintained that notwithstanding the challenges, which the players in the security sector are committed to addressing, Guyana has a stable environment. 

He disclosed that even though Guyana’s National Drug Strategy Master Plan is not directly a part of the CBSI; it aided in the formulation of projects that were submitted to the commission for funding.

He assured that the Guyana Police Force (GPF), the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and the Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit (CANU) are working closely to ensure that the country does not become a haven for drug traffickers.

Moreover, a local consultant has been recruited to formulate a new National Drug Strategy Master Plan for 2011-2015 and work has already commenced in this regard.

The CBSI Meeting was aimed at reducing the crime in the CARICOM region through a partnership approach. It follows the first successful one held in Jamaica, where partnering states have been working to enhance information sharing among law enforcement agencies, capacity building, crime prevention and maritime security cooperation.

During the meeting, Guyana received a firearm marking equipment from the Organisation of the American States (OAS), as it joined several other countries from the Caribbean and Latin America in promoting firearms marking practices and in strengthening efforts to combat the trafficking of illegal firearms in the hemisphere.

Additionally, the US Government will be making available US $77M for the execution of programmes designed to enable the commission to achieve its mandate.

The commission was formally launched in May 2010 to address the threats arising from the increase in crime and violence throughout the region. It was crafted bilaterally by CARICOM and the US Government subsequent to the decisions taken at the Summit of the Americas held in Trinidad and Tobago in April 2009. (GINA)