–President Ali renews call for Caribbean states to collaborate to prevent, dismantle illicit networks
NETWORKS of illicit activities are growing more acute and complex, President Dr Irfaan Ali has warned, urging leaders of small states, particularly those in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), to foster stronger collaboration to protect their societies.
“Transnational crime, including illicit trafficking of drugs, weapons and people, undermines stability and corrodes institutions. These challenges facing small states in our hemisphere are becoming more acute and more complex,” President Ali warned during an address to the Belizean National Assembly last week.
Transnational problems, he stressed, require transnational solutions, especially at a time when the international environment itself is marked by heightened uncertainty and rapid change.
“Co-operation is essential to protecting our societies and economies from transnational criminal networks engaged in the trafficking of weapons, people and illicit goods. Geography places both Belize and Guyana along routes that are exploited by such networks, creating challenges that no single state can address alone. These threats do not respect borders. They therefore require correlated responses.”
He believes that small states must look to pursue co-operation efforts both regionally and internationally with partners who share a common interest in preventing and disrupting networks that seek to threaten the sovereignty of economies.
“It is imperative that small states actively pursue co-operation with regional and international partners who share a common interest in preventing disrupting and dismantling organised criminal activity. Such co-operation strengthens national capacity and enhances collective security,” he said.
President Ali underscored CARICOM’s longevity and resilience, noting that the Community has endured for more than 50 years.
“The Caribbean Community has stood the test of time; I repeat that the Caribbean Community has stood the test of time for more than 50 years. CARICOM has remained intact, resilient, and relevant in a changing global environment. This speaks to the strength and value of the regional ideal; it is now incumbent upon us to make the community stronger, more responsive, and better equipped to serve both the collective and national interests of our peoples,” the Guyanese Head of State said.
Outside of this, he reiterated too the need for the region to work collectively to strengthen its footing on the global stage.
He referenced the recently concluded partnership agreement between the European Union and Mercosur as an example of how inter-regional collaboration can expand market access, bolster economic resilience, and enhance the influence of participating states.
President Ali noted that countries across the world are increasingly deepening economic partnerships, both within and across regions, as practical and forward-looking responses to global uncertainty and change.
In this context, he said CARICOM must renew its commitment to shared purpose and work to make the Community more responsive and better equipped to serve both collective and national interests.
“This agreement forms part of a broader and accelerating global trend across regions. Countries are deepening economic partnerships, both within regions and between them, as practical and forward-looking responses to the uncertainty and change,” the Head of State said.
Later this month CARICOM leaders will gather in St. Kitts & Nevis for the 50th regional summit. This year, the focus will be on food security, climate financing, security, trade, and other pressing global matters.
