In response to escalating security threats and the dynamic global geopolitical and geo-economic landscape, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), through its Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS), has officially commenced the development of a new CARICOM Security Strategy (CSS). This pivotal initiative marks a significant step toward strengthening regional coordination and resilience in the face of multidimensional security challenges.
The process began with the inaugural meeting of the CSS Steering Committee, held virtually on 24 April 2025. This high-level assembly aims to guide the creation of a comprehensive and forward-looking regional security framework that is both adaptive and strategic in nature.
- Advertisement -
According to an official release from CARICOM IMPACS, the forthcoming CSS will serve as the Region’s primary policy instrument for addressing the broad spectrum of security challenges confronting the Caribbean. It is intended to guide national governments, regional bodies, and international partners, incorporating contemporary geopolitical realities, regional development goals, and emerging technological and societal trends. The strategy will notably address issues such as artificial intelligence (AI), and adopt rights-and-responsibility-based methodologies, along with public health-informed approaches. Moreover, the strategy will underpin the modernization and strengthening of national and regional security institutions, enhancing their adaptability, resilience, and overall effectiveness.
“The current environment demands a recalibrated and adaptive regional strategy – one that strengthens our collective capacity to anticipate, prevent and respond to multidimensional threats,” stated Lieutenant Colonel Michael Jones, Executive Director of CARICOM IMPACS. “The strategy must reflect the urgency of this moment while offering practical solutions rooted in Caribbean realities and aligned with evolving global norms,” he added.
The CSS Steering Committee comprises representatives from five CARICOM Member States—Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Lucia, and Trinidad and Tobago—as well as chairs of the CARICOM Standing Committees of Operational Heads, which include heads of Police, Military, Customs, Immigration, Prisons, and Intelligence. The Committee also includes key regional institutions such as the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), the Regional Security System (RSS), the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC), the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), and the University of the West Indies (UWI). Representation further extends to the private sector, IMPACS youth representatives, civil society, and international development partners including Canada, the United Kingdom, the European Union, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), and the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB).
Delivering one of the lead presentations, Mr. Callixtus Joseph, Assistant Director (Ag), Policy, Strategy and Innovation at CARICOM IMPACS, outlined the strategic rationale underpinning the renewed security initiative. He highlighted that the scope, scale, and complexity of current security threats, coupled with shifts in the regional and global security landscape, necessitate innovative thinking and strategic transformation.
“This strategy will serve as a unifying framework to drive smarter, faster, and more adaptive responses to evolving threats. It will harness the full potential of frontier technologies such as AI, predictive analytics and digital innovation to strengthen national and regional capabilities and accelerate institutional modernization,” Mr. Joseph explained. “Above all, it will reaffirm CARICOM’s unwavering commitment to collective security as the cornerstone of sustainable development, regional resilience and a safer, more prosperous future for all Caribbean citizens,” he stated.
The CSS is expected to yield far-reaching benefits across the Caribbean Region, including reduced crime, enhanced public safety, a more favorable investment climate, and stronger regional representation in international security governance. By modernizing infrastructure, digitizing security systems, and aligning national policies with regional and global frameworks, the strategy aims to empower Member States to better prevent, detect, and respond to threats, thereby fostering stability and resilience.
During the inaugural meeting, the Steering Committee adopted its Terms of Reference (ToR), which outlines its role in providing strategic oversight, policy guidance, and quality assurance throughout the strategy’s development. Trinidad and Tobago was elected as Chair of the Committee, with Antigua and Barbuda appointed as Vice-Chair. The Committee is scheduled to meet periodically over the coming months as CARICOM IMPACS leads the development of the strategy. The final draft is expected to be presented to the Council for National Security and Law Enforcement (CONSLE) and ultimately to the CARICOM Heads of Government for formal endorsement.
CARICOM IMPACS was established in July 2006 during the 27th Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM in Bird Rock, St. Kitts and Nevis. It functions as the implementation arm of CARICOM’s regional crime and security agenda, forming a central pillar of the community’s integrated response to regional security concerns.
