THIRD CARRIBEAN-U.S. SECURITY COOPERATION DIALOGUE

110616-N-XD935-040 BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (June 16, 2011) Divers dive onto a 22-ton engine block off the coast of Barbados. Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit (MDSU) 2 is participating in Navy Diver-Southern Partnership Station, a multinational partnership engagement designed to increase interoperability and partner nation capacity through diving operations. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Jayme Pastoric/Released)

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE

Third Caribbean - United States Security Cooperation Dialogue
Media Note
Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
December 13, 2012

Following is the text of a joint statement issued by Antigua and Barbuda; the Commonwealth of the Bahamas; Barbados; the Commonwealth of Dominica; the Dominican Republic; Grenada; the Co-operative Republic of Guyana; the Republic of Haiti; Jamaica; the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis; Saint Lucia; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; the Republic of Suriname; the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago; and the United States of America at the Caribbean Security Dialogue in the Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, December 5, 2012.

Begin text:

We, the Governments of Antigua and Barbuda; the Commonwealth of the Bahamas; Barbados; the Commonwealth of Dominica; the Dominican Republic; Grenada; the Co-operative Republic of Guyana; the Republic of Haiti; Jamaica; the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis; Saint Lucia; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; the Republic of Suriname; the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago; and the United States of America (US);

REAFFIRMING our commitment to the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI) Partnership launched on 27 May, 2010, at the Inaugural Caribbean-US Security Cooperation Dialogue in Washington, D.C.;

REAFFIRMING also our keen interest in advancing our commitments stated in the Caribbean-United States Declaration of Principles ; the Caribbean-United States Plan of Action on Security Cooperation ; the Joint Caribbean-United States Framework for Security Cooperation Engagement and the Joint Statement of the Second Caribbean-US Security Cooperation Dialogue held in the Bahamas in 2011;

RECOMMITTING to the priorities of substantially reducing illicit trafficking, advancing public safety and security and further promoting social justice as outlined in the Caribbean-United States Declaration of Principles;

RECOGNIZING the work done by the Commission and the Technical Working Groups over the past year as outlined in the Joint Implementation Report;

COMMENDING the leadership shown by Caribbean states in formulating and implementing policies to promote security, and encouraging continuation of efforts through regional integration mechanisms and national contributions of adequate financing based on timely fiscal and budgetary policy decisions;

UNDERSCORING the value of international partner support and the need to maximize the effectiveness and sustainability of that support in order to reduce duplication of efforts and generate a more effective impact in advancing common security objectives in the Caribbean;

WELCOMING new international partners and expressing appreciation to the Government of Canada's initiative to organize donors and implementers in the security partnership framework in the Caribbean;

ACKNOWLEDGING the requirement for enhanced regional cooperation and sustainability of our efforts over the long-term to effectively address security in the Caribbean;

DECLARE our intent to strengthen our cooperation in the period 2012-2013 in the following ways:
Strengthening our institutions and partnerships by: • Recognizing the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS) as the primary entity for the coordination of all regional security programs and projects among the CARICOM States and with the Dominican Republic;
• Providing resources to CARICOM IMPACS;
• Recognizing the institutions and mechanisms of the Dominican Republic focused on enhancing security and implementation with CARICOM States and IMPACS;
• Requesting that international partners coordinate with IMPACS to provide effective political, technical and financial support;
• Implementing a mechanism for the dissemination of information on CBSI and regional efforts to enhance security in the Caribbean through a virtual site for official use and a website for public use;
• Ensuring the monitoring and evaluation of program implementation for effective results;
• Identifying national focal points for the internal dissemination and coordination of information with respect to the CBSI within and among countries and with the CBSI Secretariat;
• Ensuring full representation of Member States at CBSI meetings, including Technical Working Group meetings;
• Inviting other nations, regional and international organizations and private sector institutions to partner with us, as appropriate, in advancing security throughout the Caribbean;
• Addressing corruption in the public sector so as to build public trust and confidence in national institutions.
2. Substantially reducing illicit trafficking by:
• Developing a common maritime and airspace strategy, as well as standard operating procedures or other measures including, as appropriate, those provided in the CARICOM Maritime and Airspace Security Cooperation Agreement, and the Caribbean Regional Maritime Agreement
that allow for the coordination of maritime interdiction efforts between and among Caribbean countries, to include regional security institutions such as the Regional Security System (RSS) and the security institutions of the Dominican Republic;
• Continuing progress on a counter illict trafficking strategy for the Caribbean;
• Adopting the programs, initiatives, guidelines and Action Plan of the Hemispheric Drug Strategy of the Inter American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC);
• Enhancing mechanisms for training and counter narcotics coordination and operations among our nations, in particular, by supporting the Technical Assistance Field Team Program (TAFT);
• Considering all necessary agreements and arrangements to facilitate the operation of the Cooperative Sensor and Information Integration (CSII) Programme;
• Developing a common action plan among the Caribbean States and international partners to comprehensively address firearms trafficking;
• Establishing dedicated units for firearms trafficking, where appropriate, to ensure a focus on identifying illegal sources and methods;
• Fully investigating the origin of all seized firearms through tracing and ballistics analysis;
• Implementing regionally, programmes to counter the illicit trafficking in firearms, in particular, the Regional Integrated Ballistic Information Network;
• Establishing national firearms commissions that work effectively, regionally and with international partners;
• Considering policy and legislative reforms, as appropriate, and in accordance with national laws, to implement information sharing mechanisms on a region-wide basis, including the sharing of –
• radar and sensor data for the purpose of detecting, monitoring and interdicting illicit activities in the Caribbean
• ballistic forensic data,
• biometric data.
3. Advancing Public Safety and Security by:

• Enacting judicial reforms and continuing to build judicial capacity to ensure that criminals are brought to justice;
• Fully implementing the Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) to facilitate the exchange of data among all Caribbean countries, subject to domestic laws;
• Developing regional polygraph capabilities across the region;
• Developing a sustainable and complementary sub-regional and regional defence, maritime and security training capacity in the Caribbean that utilizes existing national and regional training facilities and facilitates harmonization of security measures;
• Enacting and streamlining legislative authorities in the Caribbean that allow for the seizure of assets used in illicit activity and, in turn, making these assets available for law enforcement and crime prevention initiatives;
• Developing national cybersecurity strategies and enacting, where applicable, cybercrime legislation.
4. Further Promoting Social Justice by:
• Instituting Youth Workforce Development programmes in Caribbean nations to focus on life skills training, technical and vocational training based on market needs, and private sector assistance with internships and job placements;
• Increasing economic and skills development opportunites for youth and other vulnerable populations;
• Continuing to pursue policy reforms at the national and regional levels to expand productive opportunities for youth in areas such as education, employment, entrepreneurship, volunteerism sports and culture;
• Supporting improvements in basic education, including the monitoring of school management and performance, developing public/private partnerships and improving literacy and numeracy for primary school students and young adults;
• Cooperating with regional and international organizations, non-governmental organizations, private sector, community service agencies, religious instititutions and the media in the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of effective crime prevention programs;
• Establishing a regional repository of best practices in the areas of crime prevention and social justice to facilitate networking, policy development and program development;
• Developing a regional juvenile justice policy and harmonised legislation that promotes community intervention and alternatives to sentencing and incarceration, including modernization of diversion, detention, and rehabilitation processes;
• Establishing and strengthening drug prevention programs for the reduction in the supply and demand of illicit drugs to youth and vulnerable populations.


Map:  Trinadad And Tobago.  Credit:  CIA World Factbook.

WE THANK
the Government and people of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago for their hospitality and efforts in hosting the Third High Level Dialogue of the CBSI.

WE LOOK FORWARD to the Fourth High Level Security Cooperation Dialogue to be held in December in 2013.

WE STRESS our commitment to maintain regular dialogue to meet the common challenges we face in advancing the security and prosperity of our people.

THE CARIBBEAN BASIN SECURITY INITIATIVE

Secretary Clinton and CARICOM Ministers Celebrate the Launch of the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI), A Shared Regional Security Partnership 

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE

The Caribbean Basin Security Initiative: A Shared Regional Security Partnership (Antigua and Barbuda)
Fact Sheet
Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs
December 3, 2012

Working together through the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI), the United States and the nations of the Caribbean are combating the drug trade and other transnational crimes that threaten regional security. This partnership fulfills the commitment to deepen regional security cooperation that President Barack Obama made at the Fifth Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago in April 2009. CBSI is one piece in an integrated effort that includes the other citizen security initiatives in the Hemisphere. The United States, CARICOM member nations, and the Dominican Republic are improving citizen safety throughout the Caribbean by working together to:

Substantially reduce illicit trafficking
Increase public safety and security, and
Promote social justice.
Regional Cooperation

CBSI partner nations have collectively identified several priority areas for cooperation. These include building a regional information sharing network, improving maritime interdiction coordination, and developing regional training capacity. Effective solutions to these challenges will require a sustained commitment from all CBSI partners, as well as the assistance of other international donors.

United States Support Under CBSI

The United States is making a significant contribution to CBSI, committing $203 million in funding for the first three years of the initiative. This contribution includes assistance in the following areas, all developed through the CBSI cooperative dialogue process:

Maritime and Aerial Security Cooperation. Support regional maritime and aerial coordination by improving radar coverage in strategic locations and sharing radar information. Provide equipment and training that will enable Caribbean governments to carry out maritime and aerial operations.
Law Enforcement Capacity Building. Enhance law enforcement effectiveness through police professionalization, anti-corruption training, community-based policing, and sharing regional ballistics and fingerprint information. Equipment and training augment the region’s polygraph capacity and support vetted units in conducting complex investigations, implementing anti-gang initiatives, and combating money laundering and other financial crimes.
Border/Port Security and Firearms Interdiction. Provide technical support, technology upgrades, and training on techniques for intercepting smuggled narcotics, weapons, bulk cash, and other contraband at commercial airports and seaports. Funding will also support the interdiction of firearms and secure management of weapons and ammunition stockpiles.
Justice Sector Reform. Reform and strengthen juvenile justice systems through alternative sentencing and rehabilitation services. Regional justice advisors are providing technical assistance to judges and prosecutors, advising on legal reform, and developing a task force to address critical crime issues. Funding will assist host governments in improving prison conditions.
Crime Prevention and At-risk Youth. Increase educational opportunities and provide workforce development and entrepreneurship training for at-risk youth as an alternative to crime and other harmful behavior. Funding also will support drug demand reduction through the training of treatment and rehabilitation professionals.
Antigua and Barbuda

Antigua and Barbuda will benefit directly from several of the programs described above, to include:

Interceptor boats, equipment, and training to increase counternarcotics efforts and maritime interdiction capability;
Materials and funding to increase law enforcement capacity, such as: establishment of a cyber forensics lab; investigative software for the Financial Intelligence Unit; strengthening of the juvenile justice system; training and equipment for homicide/serious felony investigations and prisons/corrections management; training for the Office of National Drug Control Policy and the Royal Antigua Police Department;
Mentoring and technical assistance to implement a modern criminal code, national prosecution service, code of conduct for prosecutors, and witness charter;
Workforce development and educational support for at-risk youth.