BASSETERRE, St. Kitts -- AS the Federation’s Prime Minister, Dr. Terrance Drew assumes the Chairmanship of the Regional Security System (RSS) Council of Ministers, he does so amidst the ongoing battle against transnational crimes in the region.
Guyana’s Minister of Home Affairs, Robson Benn, highlighted this as he summarized his tenure, citing the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and the prevailing transnational crimes affecting the region.
During the handover to Dr. Drew, Minister Benn stressed the evolving nature of transnational crimes, which now present a significant challenge to the capabilities, responsiveness, and available assets and support of the regional security system, as well as the governments and security forces across the region.
St. Kitts-Nevis, alongside other regional territories, has witnessed a surge in crime and violence, constituting the primary challenge for the Caribbean Community.
Minister Benn noted that the pandemic created an opportunity for transnational organized crime operatives to escalate their activities, taking advantage of the disruptions caused by COVID-19 to expand the scope and depth of their operations within the region.
Haiti also drew attention during the incumbent chair’s tenure, with efforts focused on preventing the nation from descending into chaos and facilitating its return to stability, a task fraught with challenges.
In his remarks, Dr. Drew underscored the crucial role played by the RSS in fostering regional unity, emphasizing that none of the Caribbean Community territories can address existential security threats alone. He outlined the meeting’s theme, 'Strength Through Unity', as a call to collective action to safeguard the region.
Addressing the issue of Haiti, Dr. Drew remarked, "I want to also say that we are dealing with the matter of Haiti, and as we speak about security here, 'a destabilised Haiti can never result in a stabilised region.' I will state it the other way: 'An unstable Haiti will result in an unstable region.'...This means that if that country becomes so unstable that it starts to affect in even greater proportion our region, our region, therefore, can become unstable."
