Crime and violence also public health issues

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad – Caribbean Community (CARICOM) chairman Dr Keith Rowley stressed the importance of addressing crime and violence in the region “as a public health issue”, even as countries focus their attention on dealing with the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic.

To do this, he said, a planned high-level summit of member states and regional multi-sectoral partners which he, as lead CARICOM head with responsibility for security, had committed to hosting, must be convened.

That summit was scheduled for April last year, but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, the Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister said on Wednesday that it was crucial for it to be convened soon.

“Although our attention has been appropriately focused on securing the health and socioeconomic wellbeing of our people and the Community’s post-COVID recovery, we must remain committed to addressing crime and violence as a public health issue in our region,” he said as he addressed the opening ceremony of the 32nd Inter-Sessional Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM, which is being held virtually.

“Across the globe, we have seen how shutdowns have contributed to an increase in cases of domestic violence. Additionally, in the region, we continue to witness unconscionable acts of violence against the women and children of our Community.”

Rowley also identified a “deepening sense of insecurity triggered by the scourge of illicit trafficking in goods and persons in our region” as another issue of concern.

He said such threats to law enforcement and security, specifically the illicit trafficking in persons, have been particularly disconcerting as CARICOM continues its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

“These illicit activities and their violent spill-over effects further intensify citizen insecurity throughout our region,” the CARICOM Chairman said.

“We have acknowledged that to address these challenges, it is insufficient to rely on law enforcement alone and that a multi-disciplinary approach which engages various sectors of our community must be adopted.

“To this end, it is my hope that we can soon refocus our attention and efforts to convene the Summit with a difference, aiming to adopt a multi-sectoral response to treat with crime and violence as a public health issue in our region,” Prime Minister Rowley added.

Matters related to regional security will be discussed at the CARICOM leaders’ two-day meeting.

Curbing the spread of COVID-19, access to vaccines and related issues; the status of implementation of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME); advancing the regional agenda on Food and Nutrition Security, which has become increasingly challenged by a number of factors including the COVID-19 pandemic; and deliberation on the framework for a joint tourism policy for CARICOM are among the other agenda items. (CMC)