The Regional Security System (RSS) continues to play a crucial role in the defense and security of the eastern Caribbean region.
That is the view of both Saint Lucia’s Prime Minister, Philip J. Pierre and Commissioner of Police, Verne Garde, who said the work of the RSS was especially critical now in the wake of growing tensions in the region concerning the presence of the US military.
Speaking during the recently concluded RSS Biannual Security Chiefs Meeting, which was held in Saint Lucia, the Prime Minister, who is also chairman of the RSS, said the region faced serious challenges such as cybersecurity, organized crime, climate-related instability, and gang violence.
“We cannot take for granted that our region remains a ‘Zone of Peace’.
“The work of the RSS continues to be indispensable to the safety, stability, and prosperity of our citizens,” Pierre stated.
The Prime Minister reaffirmed Saint Lucia’s commitment to the RSS, and called for continued engagement with international partners such as the United Kingdom, Canada, the European Union, and the United States, and expressed support for the eventual expansion of the RSS within CARICOM to strengthen regional resilience.
Meanwhile, Garde stated that the RSS remains a vital platform for coordination, mutual support, and the pooling of resources.
He said the region continued to be faced with threats such as “transnational crime, illegal trafficking, cyber threats, maritime vulnerabilities, and natural disasters, that test the resilience and our readiness.”
Chief of Defence Staff of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), Brigadier Omar Khan, used the opportunity to reaffirm the Defence Force’s commitment to regional collaboration in safeguarding the Caribbean’s stability, security, and resilience.
The three-day event sought to address among other things, regional security challenges and formulating collaborative, actionable strategies in response.
The RSS Security Chiefs meeting, which marked the organization’s 43rd anniversary, saw the participation of law enforcement and Defense Forces from the eight RSS member states along with personnel from regional and international law enforcement partner agencies.
Member states include Saint Lucia, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Guyana.
Although not an agenda item, the RSS meeting came days after CARICOM released a statement on “the increased security build up in the Caribbean and the potential impacts on Member States.”
In that statement CARICOM Heads of Government reiterated their continued commitment to fighting narco-trafficking and the illegal trade in small arms and light weapons, which adversely affect the region.
They also reaffirmed unequivocal support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of countries in the region and the safety and livelihoods of its people.
