ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada, CMC – The United States said its partnership with the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) is Indispensable” as a two-day meeting to share best practices on addressing youth crime and violence in the Caribbean got underway on Wednesday.
The Technical Working Group (TWG) meeting is being organized by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in collaboration with the Grenada government and the Guyana-based CARICOM Secretariat.
It is being held under the theme “Adaptive Management in Citizen Security.” The organizers said that the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI) underscores the importance of staying nimble and adapting to new information in a changing context.
At the opening ceremony, U.S. Embassy Grenada Principal Officer Frances Herrera spoke of the importance of collaboration, noting that “consequently, our partnerships with CARICOM and national governments are indispensable.
“By working hand in hand, we can influence policy frameworks prioritizing crime prevention and youth development,” she said.
USAID Eastern and Southern Caribbean Regional Representative Mervyn Farroe said that Washington has partnered with regional governments for many years to prevent youth crime and violence by providing youth with positive opportunities and building more effective, transparent justice systems.
Since 2010, the United States has worked with Caribbean governments through CBSI to reduce illicit trafficking, increase citizen security, and address the root causes of crime and violence in the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Barbados, The Bahamas, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Guyana, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago.
CBSI advances common security objectives in the Caribbean, focusing on transnational criminal organizations involved in drug-related crimes, systemic violence, corruption, weak judicial systems, and at-risk youth.
The United States has committed nearly S$905 million in equipment, training, and technical assistance to the Caribbean region through CBSI.
and then  is Indispensable” as a two-day meeting to share best practices){kind=link}