Countries team up to boost crime strategies

In a landmark initiative developed to change the landscape of security in the Americas, Barbados is to launch the Alliance for Security, Justice, and Development on Thursday, uniting nations to confront the escalating threat of organised crime that jeopardises lives and undermines society. 

This major development was announced at the Latin America and Caribbean Security and Justice Summit at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre, where leaders will gather on its second day to sign the Bridgetown Declaration launching the alliance.

Speaking on the opening day of the summit,  Ana María Ibáñez, the Inter-American Development Bank’s vice president for sectors and knowledge, noted the importance of the initiative, even as organised crime costs Latin America and the Caribbean an estimated 3.5 per cent of GDP annually, fuelling cycles of poverty and violence.

“Today, we have gathered for a common goal: to build safer, more just, and more prosperous societies for all,” she said. “Crime and violence are not destiny. We live in a region of enormous promise.”

The alliance, first conceived in Guayaquil, Ecuador, in August, will bring together security and justice ministers from across Latin America and the Caribbean. The initiative seeks to coordinate public policy implementation, mobilise resources, and enhance regional collaboration to combat organised crime effectively.

According to Ibáñez, crime and violence pose significant challenges to the region’s development.

“Over the last three decades, Latin America and the Caribbean have experienced homicide rates three to four times higher than the global average,” she noted. “Organised crime lies at the heart of this enduring challenge, with its increasing presence and influence corrupting institutions, eroding the rule of law, and intensifying violence.”

Ibáñez also cited the interconnected nature of organised crime, climate change, and social vulnerabilities: “Crime and violence often intersect with less obvious dimensions, such as environmental degradation. Extreme weather events may force families into displacement, increasing risks of gender-based violence, while natural disasters exacerbate poverty and instability, creating fertile ground for conflict and criminal recruitment.”

The IDB has pledged to leverage its resources to support the alliance, offering financing, technical assistance, and evidence-based interventions. According to the bank vice president: “To make real progress, we need more data and rigorous evidence on what works, and what doesn’t, in preventing and responding to organised crime.” 

She added: “An evidence-based approach is crucial to achieving results that are relevant, cost-effective, sustainable, and impactful.”

Highlighting the potential benefits of working together to strengthen public institutions and focus on prevention, Ibáñez expressed confidence that such efforts can act as a catalyst to ensuring that “Latin America and the Caribbean confront the pervasive threat with the urgency and determination it demands.” She said, “This is our opportunity to secure a more stable and prosperous present and future for all”.

Also addressing the opening ceremony, Attorney General Dale Marshall expressed strong support for the alliance, describing it as essential for addressing the region’s shared challenges. 

He said: “Its objectives, which focus on the protection of vulnerable populations, building institutional capacity in law enforcement agencies, and stemming illicit financial flows, are the problems with which the Caribbean region is dealing.” He noted that the alliance aligns with Barbados-led efforts within the region to stem the rising tide of crime and buffer its impacts.  

Pledging the nation’s support, the attorney general said: “To the staff of the IDB who worked so hard to make [the summit and the alliance] a reality, I say, Barbados will be an active participant.”

As the summit progresses, regional participants are expected to explore strategies to strengthen public institutions, promote social and economic development, and protect vulnerable populations. The agenda will also include discussions on addressing gender-based violence, human trafficking, and the socioeconomic impacts of crime. 

shannamoore@barbadostoday.bb