Date Posted: June 01, 2008.
The Fifth Joint Meeting of the CARICOM Standing Committees
of Immigration and Customs was held at the Wyndham
Hotel, in Nassau Bahamas from May 29 -30.
The
objective of the meeting was to determine and pursue
practical measures to put into action the decisions of the
Nineteenth Inter-sessional Meeting of the Conference of
Heads of Government of CARICOM , held in March, the Fifth
Meeting of Council of Ministers with responsibility for
National Security and Law Enforcement as well as the
Thirteenth Special Meeting of the Conference of Heads of
Government. At the Nineteenth Inter-sessional meeting of the Conference of
Heads of Government of CARICOM , held in Nassau, The
Bahamas, from 7-8 March 2008, member countries
recommitted to the concept of Single Domestic Space. The
concept would be supported by the use of a CARICOM Travel
Card and a Common CARICOM visa. It will also include
Intelligence-Sharing and border security measures such as
the Advance Passenger Information System (APIS) and an
Advanced Cargo Information System (ACIS).
Countries represented at the meeting included Member States; Antigua,
Bahamas, Barbados, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat, St.
Kitts/Nevis, St. Lucia and Trinidad & Tobago. Three British
Overseas Territories - Anguilla, Bermuda, and the Turks and
Caicos were also present as Associate States, serving
primarily observer roles.
Regional institutions represented at the meeting included
IMPACS (Caribbean Community, Implementation Agency For Crime
and Security), JRCC ( Joint Regional
Communication Centre) and RIFC / RIC (Regional Intelligence
Fusion Centre / Regional Intelligence Committee )
The JRCC
headquartered in Barbados and RIFC were part of the
multi layered security platform that was implemented by the
Caribbean to host the Cricket World Cup (CWC) in 2007.
During the CWC, the JRCC used a number of watch lists,
including Interpol's SLTD database to check passengers
arriving in the Region or traveling throughout the Region by
air and sea - they remained as a permanent structure
upon completion of the competition. |
