Caribbean News

JAMAICA: $11 Billion Invested to Improve Border Security

Published

6 years ago

March 30, 2018

#Jamaica, March 30, 2018 – Kingston – The Government has invested $11 billion to improve border security, as part of its crime reduction strategy. This was disclosed by Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, at the Caribbean Basin Coastal Surveillance and Maritime Summit, held at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel on March 28.

“In the next phase of our investment in our security, we will continue to build out our capacities to secure Jamaica’s borders, in terms of carrying out searches and rescue operations and to monitor, in particular, the island’s fishing resources, which will be enhanced by the purchase of a coastal radar system,” Prime Minister Holness said.

In 2017, the Ministry of National Security acquired two ships, valued at US$26.4 million, for the Jamaica Defence Force Coast Guard, while a surveillance plane was purchased at a cost of US$16.9 million. Mr. Holness informed that the utilisation of technology is a key component of his Administration’s investment in enhanced border security measures.

“For example, the use of scanners and other electronic devices to inspect cargo at our ports of entry is elevating our border security to control operations, to world class standards,” he noted.

Mr. Holness highlighted that the Automated System for Customs Data (ASYCUDA) introduced by the Jamaica Customs, and the port security system are also examples of leveraging technology to improve border security. However, the Prime Minister also pointed out that technologies are being used to undermine security in a variety of ways, adding that such security breaches have the potential to do considerable harm to the safety and security of the society.

The Prime Minister emphasised that the necessary measures must be put in place to protect against these acts. “The threat of cyberattacks in the Caribbean is increasing and is indeed a reality for our security and safety,” Mr. Holness said.

Turning to other matters, Mr. Holness cited the need to adequately respond to the frequency of natural disasters.

“We emphasise, in this region, weather-related events, hurricanes in particular, but we should also be prepared for earthquakes. There is growing legitimate concerns that coordination needs to be rapidly enhanced in order to better respond to events of the magnitude that have ravaged countries in the region,” he said.

The Prime Minister noted that these events have political, economic and socially destabilising consequences. He pointed out that effective and efficient deployment of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief also contribute to regional security.

“Optimal response solutions will require leveraging the capacity of all countries to enable better preparation, clearer communication and speedier and more appropriate types of response during these threats of disasters,” the Prime Minister said.

He noted that relief from external armies is now highly varied, as they also have to contend with the effects of natural disasters in their own countries.

“So, it is incumbent upon us as a region to utilise our resources to enhance our security-related responses,” Mr. Holness said.

The Caribbean Basin Coastal Surveillance and Maritime Security Summit is dedicated to promoting security cooperation in the Caribbean region. It is being hosted by the Jamaica Defence Force.

The three-day summit will cover topics such as: The Treaty of San Jose; Combating transnational organised criminal networks; Facilitating regional and hemispheric security cooperation; CARICOM Crime and Security Strategy; Protecting national Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) Collective approaches to cybersecurity; Interdiction of narcotics flowing through the region; Establishment and modernisation of Coast Guard forces; and Enhancing regional training and security cooperation.

Release: JIS

Caribbean News

CARICOM pushes need for Reparations Tribunal at Forum in Geneva

Published

8 hours ago

April 19, 2024

Shanieka

Rashaed Esson
Staff Writer

Words are in circulation in support for the establishment of an international tribunal, geared towards seeking reparations for centuries long transatlantic slave trade, after a CARICOM official made calls at the third session of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent (PFPAD) in Geneva, Switzerland.

During day two of the gathering held from April 16 to 19, 2024, David Comissiong, Barbados Ambassador to the Caribbean Community, stated there is a need for the tribunal as there is currently no international court to deal with the issues of reparations.

Commision, like the other members that support his view, according to reports, are aware this won’t be an easy feat, as he expressed that establishing the tribunal would require a “positive decision” by the UN General Assembly, further calling on the officials at the Forum and the UN, to come together through international collaboration and “make this happen.”

The idea creation of the tribunal was born last year 2023, suggested by the PFPAD, now reiterated by Comissiong.

Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary General, in a video, addressing the opening of the forum, supported the ongoing calls for respiratory efforts, a sentiment not shared by many.

Mentioning that racism is still an issue in today’s society, Guterres said, “ now we must build on that momentum, to drive meaningful change by ensuring that people of African descent enjoy the full and equal realization of their human rights; by stepping up efforts to eliminate racism and discrimination, including through reparations.”

Caribbean News

CARICOM sends warning as Oil prices creep higher in the Israel v Iran conflict; 14 regional states import energy

Published

8 hours ago

April 19, 2024

Shanieka

Garfield Ekon
Staff Writer

The recent attack on the Sate of Israel by the Islamic Republic of Iran, has delivered growing uncertainty across the Caribbean region, and the rest of the global economy.

Chief among the many concerns, is the free flow of oil from the Middle East, which stands at 31% of daily production for the global economy. At minimum, shipping costs are likely to increase based on the increased risk of military action in the Persian Gulf.

Pressure is also building on US and European insurance clubs to avoid any transaction, including those with China, that involve Iranian crude and additional rerouting of oil and gas shipments in response to Houthi threats, or Allied responses.

According to the Caribbean Community Council of Foreign and Community Relations (COFCOR), “these developments not only exacerbate the already tense situation but also pose significant threats to regional stability and international peace,” the group warned in a media statement.

It added that the continued cycle of retaliation, including the recent attack on Israel by Hamas, Israel’s “disproportionate response” in Gaza, and the “alarming new dimension of direct confrontations between Israel and Iran, leads to an untenable situation fraught with potential for greater regional conflict and global instability.

“The human toll of this conflict, highlighted by tragic incidents such as deaths and injuries to children, demand an immediate and empathetic response from the global community. It is imperative that there be no further escalation that can lead to more suffering and instability,” it said.

While calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities between Israel and Iran, the regional body underscored that it strongly urges both nations to halt any further military actions that could worsen the situation, endangering not only their own populations but also the broader international community.

“We implore all parties to consider the severe consequences of further conflict and to commit to diplomatic solutions that ensure the safety, sovereignty, and dignity of all people involved,” the CARICOM statement said.

On October 6, 2023, the day before Hamas attacked Israel, the international benchmark Brent crude was trading at $85 per barrel and has been fluctuating at up to $96.

On Thursday, it traded at $91 per barrel. With the exception of gas-rich Trinidad and Tobago, the 14 other countries of CARICOM, are energy importers.

Approximately 93 percent of the region’s energy needs are met by oil imports, which average 13% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Caribbean News

Gov’t Committed to Seeking Reparations for Chattel Slavery – Minister Grange

Published

8 hours ago

April 19, 2024

Shanieka

KINGSTON, April 16 (JIS):

Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Hon. Olivia Grange, says the Jamaican Government remains committed to seeking reparations for the prolonged period of chattel enslavement endured by the African forefathers on the country’s plantations.

Minister Grange said that the historical events of the transatlantic slave trade continue to have a lasting impact on Black communities to this day.

She contended that the ongoing struggles to finance education and healthcare, address poverty and housing issues, respond to economic shocks and climate change impacts, and foster peaceful societies are all rooted in the historical legacy of enslavement.

Minister Grange was addressing a church service on Sunday (April 14) at the Webster Memorial United Church in St. Andrew, where an apology was issued on behalf of the United Reform Church (URC) in the United Kingdom (UK) by Moderator of the Assembly of the URC, Reverend Tessa Henry-Robinson, for the church’s historical involvement in slavery.

“We, the general assembly of the United Reform Church, mindful of our own history and that of our antecedent bodies, wish to confess and apologise for our role in transatlantic slavery and the scars which continue to blight our society, our church and the lives of Black people in our midst and around the globe today,” the apology read.

Minister Grange, in accepting the apology, urged UK churches, particularly those whose representatives were present for the historic apology in Jamaica, to communicate to their government the ethical imperative of admitting culpability through an apology and working with Jamaica to discern the potential avenues for reparations.

She said that the church’s role in the transatlantic slave trade has had significant and enduring effects on Black communities, impacting society, the church itself, and the lives of Black individuals worldwide.

“It is this complicity of the church that gave solace and comfort to the citizens and governments of UK and Europe as they endorsed and defended with their military project, that saw the capture, the torture, the dehumanisation, and devaluation of African people, legacies of which we experience today as racism, white supremacy, and discrimination,” she stated.

“We struggle to build peaceful, stable societies because of the perpetration of violence which was the platform on which enslavement was executed yet, in spite of this, we have been good converts to these same religions. Our people have adopted and adapted the doctrines and rituals of these new religions and in many instances have energised and revitalised them with cultural practices of African spirituality,” the Minister emphasised.

The URC is a community of Christians gathering in local churches across England, Scotland, and Wales, and is part of the global family of Reformed Churches, comprising more than 70 million Christians.

With approximately 42,000 members in around 1,200 congregations, supported by more than 600 ministers, the URC plays a significant role in the spiritual and communal life of its members and the broader community.

CONTACT: BRITNEY STEVENS