Security forces to get anti-extremism training

Caricom IMPACS and the Commonwealth Secretariat are collaborating to train local national security personnel in how to prevent and counter violent extremism in TT.

The Caricom Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (Caricom IMPACS), which is headquartered in TT, said more than 130 foreign terrorist fighters have left these shores to support the Islamic State.

In a release, Callixtus Joseph, regional crime and security strategist, said this presents an urgent threat, but one that TT and the rest of the region continue to address.

He said his organisation and the Commonwealth Secretariat, a voluntary association of 53 independent and sovereign states which represents 2.4 billion people across five continents, have also pledged support to the region to prevent and counter violent extremism.

The Commonwealth Secretariat, based in London, supports member countries to achieve development, democracy and peace through technical assistance and senior level engagement and information exchange.

“Building upon the Caricom counter-terrorism strategy, a three-day capacity-building course will be held to provide an opportunity for over 100 participants from TT and 300 participants regionally to prevent and counter violent extremism in the region.”

The course will be held in Port of Spain from July 23-25 and has been designed mainly for participants involved in national security such as police and prison officers, military, customs and immigration personnel, as well as representatives from government agencies, tertiary level academia, NGOs and other regional organisations.

Joseph said delivery of the course, funded by the two agencies, will be both face-to-face and via online video platforms.

He said the course would "provide an opportunity for participants to be exposed to best practices and support measures, as well as serve as a platform to discuss key concepts, international agreements and norms. International experiences and regional co-operation in preventing violent extremism will also be an area of focus.

“One key objective is to build the capacity of stakeholders to develop innovative responses, while promoting the protection of freedom of expression, privacy and other fundamental freedoms.

“These efforts will provide detailed understanding to manage returning and relocating foreign terrorist fighters, counter-terrorism financing and prevent the exploitation of social media and digital spaces.”

The course will also aim to provide participants with an in-depth understanding of the agencies programmes as it relates to counter terrorism and preventing violent extremism .

Caricom IMPACS is the co-ordinating and implementation arm of the region’s multilateral crime and security management architecture, designed to administer a collective response to the crime and security priorities of its member states. Its members comprise 15 Caricom member states and five associate states

The agency was responsible developing the Caricom counter-terrorism strategy, which was approved in February 2018 by the conference of Caricom heads of government.