The Organisation of American States has signed a cooperation agreement with the Ministry of Home Affairs that will see the strengthening of public security observatories.
Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee and OAS Resident Representative Dennis Moses exchange documents after signing the cooperation pact
The project, signed on June 22, is being coordinated by the Department of Public Security of the Sector for Multidimensional Security of the OAS, and is being funded by the government of Canada. OAS Country Representative Dennis Moses said that Guyana’s participation in the project is critical to the project meeting its objectives.
“One of the main features of the project is the strengthening of the UN Office in Drugs and Crime… crime trends and survey questionnaires.
“Additionally, the project seeks to share information among members to develop regular indicators that are unique to the Caribbean,” Moses said.
Other countries that are a part of the project are Barbados, Belize, Jamaica, St Kitts and Nevis, and Trinidad and Tobago. The focus of the project is to assist certain Caricom countries in the establishment and/or strengthening of public security observatories to improve the capabilities for data collection, crime, and public security issues.
In the establishment of the project, computers, printers, scanners, software and initial funding would be provided, but the participating country will have to ensure that the project is continued after that, Moses stated.
Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee, in expressing gratitude and appreciation for being part of the project, stated that it will see the effective carrying out of the ministry’s mandate.
“We believe that the inclusion of this new capacity-building tool will contribute to the future enhancement of the Ministry of Home Affairs to fulfill its mandate,” Rohee stated.
At the first meeting of ministers of national security in Mexico in October 2008, projects of this kind were agreed upon. According to Rohee, a crime observatory was established in Guyana following the meeting.
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