MINISTER of Home Affairs Oneidge Walrond represented Guyana at the 10th International Session for Latin America and the Caribbean, held from June 29 to July 3, 2026, in Fort-de-France, Martinique.

During the week-long programme, she also participated in the Regional Security Conference, where regional and international leaders reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cooperation against narcotrafficking, illicit firearms trafficking, and transnational organised crime.

The high-level session, organised by the French Institute for Higher National Defence Studies (IHEDN) in partnership with the Directorate for Security and Defence Cooperation (DCSD) of the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, brought together government officials, law enforcement agencies, judicial authorities, regional organisations, and international partners to address evolving security challenges across the Caribbean and the wider Americas.

A key outcome of the conference was the adoption of the Call of Martinique, a joint declaration reaffirming the shared determination of participating countries to dismantle transnational criminal networks, strengthen maritime and border security, enhance intelligence sharing, reinforce financial investigations to disrupt illicit proceeds, and deepen regional and international law enforcement cooperation.

Minister Walrond welcomed the declaration, emphasising that no country can effectively combat transnational crime in isolation. She reaffirmed Guyana’s commitment to working alongside regional and international partners to strengthen collective security, uphold the rule of law, and build resilient institutions capable of responding to emerging threats.

The minister noted that Guyana remains steadfast in supporting coordinated, evidence-based approaches to combat organised crime, protect its borders and ports, and strengthen regional security in the interest of the Caribbean and the wider hemisphere. (MoHA)