THE Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has declared “war on guns” to combat the illegal exportation of guns from the United States of America.
This declaration followed the conclusion of the regional symposium in Trinidad and Tobago, where leaders sought to address crime and violence as a public health issue.

The CARICOM leaders registered their concern over the increase in the illegal exportation of guns from the United States of America, which is a direct threat to the region’s democracy.

“We declare a war on guns to combat the illegal trade which provides the weapons that contribute significantly to crime and violence in our region, causing death, disabilities and compromising the safety of our citizens.

“We call on the United States of America to join the Caribbean in our War on Guns and urgently adopt and take action to stop the illegal exportation of firearms and ammunition into the Caribbean,” CARICOM said.

The bloc lamented the disproportionate share of its members’ national budgets that are allocated to measures to address crime, violence and national security as well as mental health and other health-related challenges, that directly result from the illegal exportation of guns to the region.

“We underscore our commitment to utilize all human, financial and other resources to rid our Region of the scourge of illicit weapons. We reiterate that the Caribbean must be a zone of peace, which will allow us to achieve our goal of a secure, stable and prosperous community for all our citizens,” CARICOM said.