Caricom council looks to improve security co-ordination

The CARICOM Council for National Security and Law Enforcement (CONSLE) recently focused on reshaping of the architecture and governance for crime and security in the region so as to achieve increased benefits for member states, according to a press release from the CARICOM Secretariat at Turkeyen.

In particular, CONSLE at its second special meeting paid attention to the achievement of synergies among the various regional agencies/ institutions involved in crime and security.

The council in so doing was responding to the concerns of Heads of Government as expressed at their thirty-second regular meeting of the conference held in Basseterre St. Kitts, earlier this month.

The meeting, held by video conference on Thursday, also received an update on the diagnostic audit in progress at the CARICOM Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS).

The diagnostic audit, which will cover the period 2006 to 2011, was instituted following a preliminary investigation of media allegations levelled against the agency.

The council agreed that those immunities granted to IMPACS, which are under CONSLE’s control, should be waived upon request, in the event of a criminal investigation.

The release noted that the ministers advanced the preparations for a special meeting of Heads of Government on crime and security which had been agreed upon at the recent meeting of the CARICOM Heads of Government in St Kitts and Nevis.

The council received a report from the Chairman of CONSLE, Senator Dr. Errol Cort, Minister of National Security and Labour of Antigua and Barbuda on the discussions relative to crime and security at the St Kitts and Nevis conference, the release concluded.