Security forces start planning for UNCTAD 15

Members of the local and regional security cluster for the UNCTAD 15 Conference recently stepped up their preparation for the Conference with a training exercise at the Headquarters of the Regional Security System (RSS) at Paragon, Christ Church.

Former Commissioner of Police Darwin Dottin is the National Organising Committee’s Focal Point for Security, while former Chief Medical Officer Dr Elizabeth Ferdinand has responsibility for Health.

The security team also includes representation from the Royal Barbados Police Force (RBPF), the Barbados Defence Force (BDF), the Barbados Fire Service (BFS),
and the Department of Emergency Management (DEM).

The local law enforcement personnel are working in collaboration with the RSS and the United Nations Department of Safety and Security.

Director of Training at the RSS Lt. Commander Brian Roberts officially opened the training session.

He told participants that the purpose of the exercise was to explore “well-designed and realistic scenarios, provide an opportunity to test response capabilities, and make recommendations for robust responses.” This preparatory work will ensure that teams have adequate experience of working together.

Senior leadership and team leaders from the RBPF, the BDF and the BFS were in attendance. These included Acting Commissioner of the RBPF, Erwin Boyce; Executive Director of the RSS, Captain Errington Shurland; and Chief of Staff of the BDF, Colonel Glyne Grannum.

Training Institute Manager Brigadier General (Ret’d.) Earl Arthurs conducted the table top exercise. At the end of the training session, the participants discussed what went well, what needed to be improved, and what recommendations should be made in order to achieve the objectives.

In his closing assessment,  Dottin said that it was an excellent exercise. He commended the level of participation and the spirit of camaraderie among the various groups.

Another training exercise is scheduled for early December. That one will be a practical field exercise where participants will act on some of the possible scenarios and refine their responses.UNCTAD 15 is scheduled to take place in Barbados 25-30 April 2021. (PR)