CARICOM Security Mechanism Working To Mitigate COVID-19 And Hurricane Threats

GEORGETOWN, Guyana, April 9, 2020 (CMC) – The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Council for Security and Law Enforcement (CONSLE) has announced that it is working to mitigate the threats, arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, that has affected all CARICOM member states.

CONSLE met, yesterday, in an emergency meeting, to discuss matters of security, particularly those related to the COVID-19 situation and the upcoming hurricane season, the start of which is just six weeks away.

The virtual meeting, which was preceded, the day before, by the Special Meeting of the CARICOM Operational Standing Committees, was Chaired by Senator, Dr. Winston Garraway, Grenada’s Minister of State in the Office of the Prime Minister and Ministry of Climate Resilience, the Environment, Forestry, Fisheries, Disaster Management and Information, with responsibility for Disaster Management and Information.

He iterated that the COVID-19 pandemic is “a serious threat to our very survival”, hence the need for an effective and efficient collaborative response.

“We need to engage each other, to find the most effective and efficient way to mitigate this threat…and to provide advice that will ultimately reassure our people, that the institutions of the region…are working, assiduously, to mitigate all threats,” Dr. Garraway elaborated.

Yesterday’s meeting, organized by the CARICOM Secretariat, discussed the current status of COVID-19 in the Caribbean, as well as the implications for the region’s response to the hurricane season.

To this end, discussions focused on the security outlook, concerns and challenges of those regional agencies on the frontline, and the importance of a collective approach that was effective and efficient.

In brief opening remarks, the Chair noted that CARICOM has “developed the proper mechanisms, through coordination by the Security Cluster, to deal with dangers, before they appear”.

The CARICOM Security Cluster comprises the CARICOM Implementing Agency for Crime and Security (CARICOM-IMPACS); the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA); Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA); and the Regional Security System (RSS).

The meeting was attended by representatives of the regional Ministries of Security, including, at the ministerial level, Heads of Community Institutions, including CARICOM IMPACS, CARPHA, CDEMA and institutions, which enjoy functional relations with CARICOM, such as the RSS.

CONSLE is responsible for the coordination of the region’s multi-dimensional security agenda, to ensure a safe and stable community.