The United States has agreed to a Caribbean Security Summit as early as June, following deep regional concerns about the growing number of issues which could affect the Caribbean region if left unchecked.
Agreement was reached following Thursday’s Caricom-US Summit at the Mona Campus of the University of the West Indies, Jamaica, where Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar made the request for the summit.
After agreement was reached on the proposed summit, to be held at a venue yet to be decided, Persad-Bissessar said she was happy that the United States had agreed.
Persad-Bissessar, who is the lead Prime Minister on Crime and Security, initiated discussions with United States President Barack Obama who visited Jamaica.
In her submission to the US head of state, Persad-Bissessar said she believed all parties should evaluate Caribbean and US security. She said the time was now for all parties to “critically review, rethink and reform the approach to collaboration between our region and the US.”
The PM said there was a clear and present threat which now existed from the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (Isis) and foreign terrorist fighters.
She said, “A number of persons have been identified as leaving Caricom Member States to become foreign terrorist fighters. General Kelly, of the US SouthComm, has said that those young radicalised Caricom citizens could return with substantial terrorist skills in asymmetric warfare.”
Persad-Bissessar pointed out that the war could not be won without shared intelligence.
“We must work together for the security of your people and ours,” she declared.
Persad-Bissessar said Caricom was deeply concerned about recent information from the Commander of US Southern Command, John Kelly.
Kelly, she said, spoke of the drawdown of the already decreased naval assets of SouthComm.
“This comes at a time of an increase in the illegal trade in small arms, the region’s daily fight against narco-terrorism and human trafficking, and the global threat posed by Isis.
“With these threats against our security, a great deal of anxiety is building, because the assets to defend our borders are being reduced and some of us have none at all.”
She also said commissioners of police across the Caribbean had estimated that as many as 1.6 million illegal guns were circulating within the region.
“This is a significant cause for concern, as we are all aware that guns are the most instrumental factor for the high murder rates in the Caribbean. Approximately 70 per cent of murders in Caricom occur through the use of small arms and light weapons.
“In light of this, T&T, with the endorsement of all Caricom Member States, has offered to host the Secretariat of the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT). We would welcome the support of the United States in this endeavour.”