.jpg)
Guyana is signatory to the protocol agreements which initiated cooperation between the CARICOM countries and U.S. in respect of the CBSI and, last year, they met in Trinidad and Tobago where delegations from the Caribbean through the Dominican Republic gathered.
Rohee said that, in Guyana, they have established working groups relative to specific areas to which they are to be beneficiaries in terms of technical cooperation and provision of assets among others.
He said it was agreed, between the government and the US Ambassador that they ought to meet from time to time to review the status of implementation and the way forward with respect to matters in which they are enjoined in the context of relations between Guyana and US Administration.
The minister explained that the forum was precisely aimed at proceeding in that direction as they appreciate the need for such an engagement which is timely and necessary because, if they are to be the ultimate beneficiaries, it is important that they maintain an engagement with the US representation in Guyana, in order to ensure that they are on track in relation to their cooperation.
Very appreciative
Hardt, in his remarks, said the US team is very appreciative of the collaboration with CBSI and noted that it is one of the earliest initiatives coming out of the Americas and is in its third year. As such, the funds committed are starting to come on stream.
He added that, from the onset, the CBSI has been developed and designed as a partnership and it is not a one-way street, since they are working with all of their partners in the Caribbean to combat illicit trafficking, promote citizen security and address challenges in the justice sectors as well as work on maritime interdiction efforts and a whole host of areas.
“I think the beauty of what we have done is that we have sat down and targeted what are the most critical areas we need to be working on. As we go forward, there are going to be things that are accomplished, new challenges will emerge and a bit more, and a meeting such as this brings all the key stakeholders together to have an informal exchange of views on how well we are doing and what has been accomplished, so far, and what priorities have been useful,” the diplomat said.
Hardt said they are very pleased to see that the Government of Guyana has developed some strategic plans for moving forward and strengthening law enforcement and security, and the purpose of this is to come together and ensure that they are working in harmony with all the initiatives they are engaged in and that the goals and priorities are complemented in Guyana.
The US envoy said they look forward to action on the agenda and are looking at training and visits that have been made and what follow-up action will come out of that. They have been engaged in issues of financial crimes, port security, fingerprinting programme and looking at some of the military vessels that are provided to Guyana this year, and some other areas.
In summation, Hardt said the CBSI is broad and comprehensive and they are pleased with the dialogue thus far.
Latest pillar
The CBSI is the latest pillar of a US security strategy focused on citizen safety throughout the hemisphere, and it brings together all members of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and The Dominican Republic, to jointly collaborate on regional security with the U.S. as a partner.
The U.S. is making a significant contribution to the CBSI, committing US$203M in funding for the first three years.
The U.S. and Caribbean countries have identified three core objectives to deal with the threats facing the Caribbean. They are to:
* substantially reduce illicit trafficking, through programmes ranging from counter-narcotics to reducing the flow of illegal arms/light weapons;
* increase public safety and security through programmes ranging from reducing crime and violence to improving border security and
* promote social justice through programmes designed to promote justice sector reform, combat government corruption and assist vulnerable populations at risk of recruitment into criminal organisations.
These objectives are not just about drug interdiction, as the CBSI is a whole of government approach to citizen safety, the latter focusing on:
* partnerships: a defining purpose of U.S. policy in the Western Hemisphere is to build effective partnerships to advance our common strategic interests – partnerships that can better develop, mobilise and apply the capacity of the region toward accomplishing shared objectives.
* the personal element: our commitment to broad partnerships that advance citizen safety signals that the U.S. understands that, while security is a key priority throughout the region, people often understand security in a personal way on their street corners, on a bus to and from work, or in their markets.
* crime linkages: forging effective partnerships requires an understanding of and an ability to address fundamental links between local, transnational and ‘white collar’ crime (e.g., corruption) and the nexus between these threats and the big social and economic challenges the Region faces, while seeking to improve public safety, improve security for each and every citizen through these partnerships.
