AG meets Caricom Impacs team

ATTORNEY General Reginald Armour, SC, met on Wednesday with a team from Caricom Impacs to discuss matters arising out of a two-day special Caricom symposium on crime.

The symposium, chaired by the Prime Minister, was held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Port of Spain on Monday and Tuesday.

Caricom Impacs is Caricom's implementation agency for crime and security. It comprises two agencies: the Joint Regional Communications Centre (JRCC) and the Regional Intelligence Fusion Centre (RIFC)

The JRCC is responsible for the operations and management of the advance passenger information system (APIS), which screens approximately 40 million passengers annually who enter Caricom by air and sea.

RIFC provides support to Caricom member states in intelligence-gathering, sharing and analysis.

A statement on Thursday from the Ministry of the AG and Legal Affairs said Armour met with Caricom Impacs executive director Lt Colonel Michael Jones "with a view to continuing the conversation towards the development of an action plan to strengthen the capacity of the region’s security and justice agencies."

The areas of discussion included Trinidad and Tobago's role in supporting the immediate ratification of the Caricom Arrest Warrant Treaty and consideration of acceding to other outstanding international instruments as needed.

The ministry said there was further discussion on TT’s role in supporting anti-crime and security initiatives; and discussions on emerging technologies in security, including the use, benefits, and possible implications of artificial intelligence, particularly in the security and legal sector.

Armour and Jones agreed that the ministry and Caricom Impacs should continue to collaborate to identify ways that government and Caricom Impacs can work together to implement decisions Caricom leaders made at the symposium.