–PM Phillips acknowledges; advises Caribbean partners that collective action necessary to address security challenges

WITH shared interests and challenges, wider collaboration among the Caribbean’s military forces is paramount, now more than ever, Guyana’s Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Philips has said.
Prime Minister Phillips, who is performing the functions of President, issued the call for a collective approach to the many security threats facing the various nations, during his address at the closing ceremony of this year’s Tradewinds exercise held at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre.

In 2022, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) identified four critical common areas of security interest among the member states.
Those areas, Prime Minister Phillips said, were firearms trafficking, cyber security, trafficking in persons, and maritime security.
“Many threats no longer recognise borders, which, therefore, begs the need for collaborative efforts between nations to address security challenges that transcend boundaries, such as terrorism, organised crime, cyber threats, and trafficking of illicit goods,” PM Phillips said.
He added: “The interconnectedness of the CARICOM region, therefore, means that the safety of our people is intricately linked. So, addressing these matters as a collective becomes paramount.”

It is against this backdrop that the Tradewinds exercise fits perfectly into the goals sought out by the military forces to establish effective and efficient collective approaches. He added that human rights awareness must be embedded in these approaches.
Prime Minister Phillips: “Our security forces must work hand-in-hand with civil society, human rights organisations, and independent oversight bodies to ensure that allegations of human rights violations are thoroughly investigated and addressed.”
In creating a harmonious society, military forces, he said, must uphold human rights principles, demonstrate authentic leadership, and contribute to creating a just and harmonious society.|

The Tradewinds exercise, Prime Minister Phillips said, is a reminder to troops of their responsibility to society.
He related: “The elements of human rights, and the consideration of women, peace and security within this programme is a positive sign of a promise by our security forces to be vanguards of our safety and advocates for the protection of human rights for every individual.”
Exercise Tradewinds is a United States Southern Command-sponsored multinational Caribbean security exercise designed to expand the region’s capability in several areas.
The exercise began on July 14, and included the participation of 21 partner nations, three allied nations and several regional organisations in its 38th edition.

MOST EXTENSIVE
Meanwhile, in delivering brief remarks, General Laura J. Richardson, Commander of United States Southern Command, disclosed that for years, the Tradewinds exercise has been one of the most extensive ones held in this region.
“We have gathered to build nation capacity, strengthen partnerships, improve interoperability, and promote human rights. Tradewinds is a multi-domain multi-dimensional exercise and it’s no small task to put this exercise together,” Commander Richardson said.
This year’s exercise saw over 1,500 personnel improving their skills in maritime interdiction, inter-agency collaboration, cyber operation training, small unity infantry tactics and humanitarian assistance, and disaster response training track with a simulated oil spill and catastrophic flooding exercise.

“Each of you wears a flag on your uniform. But when you gather all those lives together, they formed another team called team democracy and this team is committed to working across all domains to ensure a free secure and prosperous Western Hemisphere for our generation and generations to come,” the US Commander said as she congratulated the troops on a successful exercise.
Meanwhile, Guyana’s Chief of Staff, Omar Khan expressed his pleasure with the performance of the Guyanese ranks in this year’s exercise.
Khan said: “I am proud of the remarkable display of cooperation, dedication and resilience executed by everyone who participated. Over these past few weeks, we witnessed an extraordinary demonstration of teamwork, professionalism and camaraderie among the troops are all over priorities.”