With more than 130 persons from the Caribbean now part of the Islamic State (IS) as Foreign Terrorist Fighters, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (CARICOM IMPACS) and the Commonwealth Secretariat are collaborating to build capacity in the Region to prevent and counter violent extremism.
More than 410 participants will attend a three-day course: “Preventing Violent Extremism”, which advances the CARICOM Counter-Terrorism Strategy. The course will be hosted in Trinidad.
According to CARICOM Today, the Police, Military, Customs, Immigration, Prisons, as well as Government Agencies, Tertiary Level Academia, Non-Governmental Organisations and other Regional bodies will benefit from both face-to-face and online video instruction, which will expose them to best practices and support measures.
They will also be able to use this platform to discuss key concepts, international agreements, and norms. International experiences and regional cooperation in preventing violent extremism is also an area of focus.
The participants will also be provided with an in-depth understanding of both CARICOM IMPACS and the Commonwealth Secretariat Counter-Terrorism and Preventing Violent Extremism Programmes.
A key objective of the Preventing Violent Extremism Course in CARICOM is to build the capacity of stakeholders to develop innovative responses, while promoting the protection of freedom of expression, privacy, and other fundamental freedoms.
It is expected that these efforts will provide a detailed understanding to manage returning and relocating foreign terrorist fighters, counter-terrorism financing and prevent the exploitation of social media and digital spaces.
Funded by CARICOM IMPACS and the Commonwealth Secretariat, this initiative ensures that the Commonwealth Secretariat’s assistance package is in synergy with the CARICOM Counter-Terrorism Strategy.
