Maritime Security Focus Grows as Governor Leads National Security Programme

Turks and Caicos Islands is seeing increased attention on maritime security and regional defence cooperation, with Governor Dileeni Daniel-Selvaratnam leading a series of national security engagements aimed at strengthening the territory’s ability to monitor and protect its waters.

In recent days, the Governor hosted the Chief of Defence Staff of the Jamaica Defence Force, Vice Admiral Antonette Wemyss-Gorman, during an official visit which focused on regional collaboration, leadership and maritime awareness.

According to the Governor’s Office, the meeting explored opportunities for closer cooperation among defence and security institutions, including training partnerships and improved coordination across the Caribbean.

Vice Admiral Wemyss-Gorman, who made history in 2022 as the first woman to serve as head of the Jamaica Defence Force, was described as a trailblazer in international military leadership, with more than three decades of service and multiple national honours. Her visit underscored what officials called the importance of shared responsibility in confronting modern security threats in the region.

The engagement comes as Turks and Caicos continues to place growing emphasis on maritime enforcement, particularly as illegal migration, trafficking and transnational crime remain major concerns across the region.

Just days later, the Governor also oversaw a specialised inter-agency maritime security training programme conducted with the support of INTERPOL.

The exercise brought together personnel from the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force, the Turks and Caicos Islands Regiment, Border Force, Fisheries Protection and the Attorney General’s Chambers.

Officials said the training focused on strengthening operational readiness and improving coordination among agencies responsible for protecting the territory’s maritime domain. Participants reviewed maritime law, examined regional threat trends and worked through scenario-based exercises designed to simulate real incidents at sea.

The programme forms part of the work of the National Security Council, which falls under the responsibility of the Governor under the Turks and Caicos Islands Constitution, where national security remains a reserved matter for the United Kingdom.

Authorities say the ongoing training and regional partnerships are intended to build stronger enforcement capability and ensure agencies can respond collectively to increasingly complex security challenges across the islands’ vast ocean territory.

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