This island’s acting Attorney General Wilfred Abrahams says it is “critical” that the issues of crime are tackled “head-on”.
Mr. Abrahams expressed this view as he delivered the opening remarks at the First Strategic Caribbean Focal Points Meeting of EL PAcCTO 2.0, on Tuesday afternoon, at the Hilton Barbados Resort.
The acting Attorney General stressed the importance of the three-day meeting, saying it was an opportunity to work in partnership with the EU, countries of the Caribbean and Latin America towards the strengthening of the rule of law, justice, and security, in the hope of ultimately improving the quality of life and security of citizens.
“The focus on the challenges posed by organised crime and the potential regional, national, and organisational solutions to address it is timely. The evils of organised crime are well known and no country in the world is immune. The Caribbean can ill afford the deleterious effects on our economies and societies,” he stated.
He told the participants that governments are concerned about the proliferation of firearms in the region and their use in over half of the reported homicides.
“We must make every effort to disrupt the networks involved in the illicit trading of firearms. The region remains resolute in its quest to improve the efficiency of its national and regional machinery to strengthen the rule of law and to counter organised crime,” he assured.
Mr. Abrahams noted that EL PAcCTO provides opportunities at the regional and national levels for institutional strengthening and capacity building. However, he proffered the view that these opportunities would only be realised with a spirit of full collaboration, consultation, and communication.
“Meaningful and sustained consultation is key to unlocking the much-needed buy-in to galvanise the ownership and actions needed for success. I hasten to add that consultation is far more than the production of a position paper or matrix by one player and its circulation to other stakeholders in the sector. We need more meaningful dialogue and relationship-building between ourselves and our organizations at all levels,” he suggested.
In highlighting the recent passage of Hurricane Beryl, which affected the region, the acting Attorney General told participants that their discussions must consider the changing world.
“As we deliberate and come up with policies, procedures, the right way to do things, and new and different ideas, let us please expand our minds past what we have previously contemplated and understand that our thought processes were determined by the world as it existed before, and we must now plan for the world that exists now,” Mr. Abrahams indicated.
EL PAcCTO (Europe Latin America Programme of Assistance against Transnational Organised Crime) is an international cooperation programme funded by the European Union that seeks to contribute to security and justice in Latin America by supporting the fight against transnational organised crime. EL PAcCTO addresses the entire criminal chain in three components – police, justice, and penitentiary.