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YouTubeUNODC Regional Programme 2014-2016 in support of the CARICOM Crime and Security Strategy
The Caribbean is situated in the midst of some of the world's major drug trafficking routes, between the world's main drug producing countries to the South and the major consumer markets of the North. The geographic location of the region, the general lack of adequate law enforcement capacities to effectively monitor vast coastlines, as well as its susceptibility to exogenous shocks, are some of the factors explaining the Caribbean's extreme vulnerability to the threat of transnational organized crime and its various manifestations. The nature of these challenges makes regional cooperation and a coordinated response key factors in addressing the increasing plague of transnational crime, which threatens not only regional security, but also sustainable development and growth.
The UNODC Regional Programme 2014-2016 in support of the CARICOM Crime and Security Strategy is the result of strong joint development and coordination between UNODC and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). The Regional Programme was developed in close collaboration with CARICOM Secretariat and the CARICOM Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS), with contributions from the Caribbean Aviation Safety and Security Oversight System (CASSOS) and the Regional Security System (RSS). This regional collaboration facilitated the full alignment of the Regional Programme with the Strategic Goals of the CARICOM Crime and Security Strategy (CCSS), which was approved by Caribbean Heads of Government in 2013.
The Regional Programme was presented by UNODC in a meeting of the CARICOM Council of Minister for Security and Law Enforcement (CONSLE) in November 2013 and was later presented to the CARICOM Community Council in January 2014. On 7 April 2014, in an event hosted at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, UNODC launched the Regional Programme, with a strong show of regional support.
The Regional Programme serves as an overarching policy framework for UNODC's technical assistance to the Caribbean region. The CARICOM Crime and Security Strategy 2013 (CCSS) clearly illustrates the areas of greatest concern regarding regional security and outlines a set of Strategic Goals aimed at strengthening the region's capacity to combat transnational organized crime and its manifestations. In an effort to support the region in achieving these Goals, UNODC has worked closely with the CARICOM Secretariat and its Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS) to align technical assistance in such a way that these main areas of priority are adequately addressed, while avoiding any duplication of initiatives.
The Regional Programme consists of the following five sub-programmes, which not only reflect the range of thematic areas covered by the UNODC mandate, but also directly target the priority goals of the CARICOM Strategy: (i) Countering transnational organized crime, Illicit Trafficking and Terrorism; (ii) Countering Corruption and Money Laundering; (iii) Preventing Crime and Reforming Criminal Justice; (iv) Drug Use, Prevention and Treatment and HIV/AIDS and (v) Research, Trend Analysis and Forensics. These sub-programmes will guide the development of concrete UNODC projects and initiatives to be implemented in the region.
For More Information:
Memorandum of Understanding between UNODC and CARICOM IMPACS
The UNODC Regional Programme 2014-2016 in support of the CARICOM Crime and Security Strategy