CARIFORUM States continue to address Crime and Security through two 11th EDF funded Programmes

Progress under two European Union (EU) funded programmes to improve the administration of criminal justice and to strengthen law enforcement and border security in CARIFORUM States was recently assessed by the respective Steering Committees overseeing the Programmes.

Deputy Programme Manager, Ms. Yvanette Baron-George, represented Ms. Alexis Downes-Amsterdam, Director General of CARIFORUM, at the meetings. She explained that the Support to the Effective Administration of the Criminal Justice Systems in the Caribbean Programme aims to modernise and strengthen court services across the region. The United Nations Development Programme, Center for International Legal Cooperation, the CARICOM Secretariat and the Caribbean Court of Justice are implementing partners under the Programme.

Improving access to justice through acquisition of software, hardware, training and capacity development, procedural reforms and community awareness is a key initiative being implemented under the programme.

Through the Law Enforcement and Border Security Programme, the Regional Security System and national security agencies benefited from targeted training and capacity building initiatives to better respond to regional security threats. This Programme aims to improve information and intelligence sharing in the CARIFORUM region for crime prevention and interdiction. Implementation was done by the Regional Security System and CARICOM Implementation Agency for Crime and Security on behalf of CARIFORUM.