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Date: November 25, 2024 Mon
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caribbean
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110 total results foundAuthor: Wijk, Nikil Phoebe Licorice van Title: Domestic Violence By and Against Men and Women in Curacao: A Caribbean Study Summary: The available domestic violence literature offers few clues on the situation in the Caribbean. General violence indicators support the assumption of high prevalences, but how these may be affected by, for example, gender relations and family structures is unclear. Reliable statistical data on the prevalence, nature, and consequences of domestic violence are not available, the prevalence of domestic violence in Curacao has never been studied before. The central question of this thesis is: What are the prevalences, risk factors and consequences of domestic violence against men and women on Curacao? Curacao is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located in the southwestern Caribbean, and has a population of 140.000. The island's population comes from many ethnic backgrounds. For its size, the island has a considerably diverse economy which does not rely mostly on tourism alone as is the case on many other Caribbean islands. International financial services, the harbor and trade are important economic sectors as well. In contrast to the relatively isolated Western-style nuclear family, family structures in the Caribbean are often characterized by matrifocal, (grand)mother-dominated households with several generations living in the same house or in houses built close to each other on a compound, sharing resources and carer's duties. Domestic violence is a pattern of abusive behaviors by one or both partners in an intimate relationship such as marriage, dating, family, friends or cohabitation. Domestic violence against adults can be divided into three main categories: psychological, physical and sexual violence. Other relevant aspects of domestic violence are initiation, intention and motivation: 'common couple violence' is distinguished from 'intimate terrorism'. Common couple violence is expressive and characterized by minor forms of violence. Intimate terrorism on the other hand is instrumental, to control, subdue, and reproduce subordination. Compared to common couple violence, it is more rare and serious, tends to escalate over time, and peaks after separation. When surveying sensitive topics, serious underreporting of the phenomena under study is a grave danger to the validity of the data. Domestic violence is a prime example of a sensitive topic, as it concerns behavior that is socially frowned upon, may be illegal, and concerns the private domain. A special mixed-mode survey was designed to assess the prevalence of domestic violence on Curacao and its health consequences. Great care was taken to reduce selective non-response and stimulate open and honest responses on this topic. Our study clearly shows that respondents from different demographic segments have different preferences as for type of data collecting mode. Overall, almost a quarter of our respondents chose a face-to-face interview, while for the segment of low educated, elderly people, the interview option was chosen by over half of the respondents. This supports our expectations that a mixed mode approach pulls in those respondents that we would have missed if we restricted ourselves to a single mode approach. The tailored mixed-mode strategy leads to higher number of completed questionnaires, and restores partly the non-response bias by pulling in more lower educated and elderly, groups that are in general underrepresented. The results of this study indicate that one out of three people (25% of men, 38% of women) in Curacao have experienced some form of domestic violence as adults, and the lifetime victimization rates are 39% of men, 51% of women. The most significant risk factors for domestic violence in Curacao are the female gender, a young age, low education and experiencing domestic violence victimization in childhood. Divorce, single parenthood and unemployment increase the risk for women, but not for men. Possible explanations for the high victimization rates of divorced women are the fact that domestic violence rates spike during separation and higher denial rates among couples who are still together: domestic violence victims that are still in a relationship Domestic violence against women on Curacao is for the most part (ex-) partner violence. Against men, it is primarily violence from parents, family and friends. Parents are the main perpetrators of domestic violence against children, except for sexual violence, which is primarily perpetrated by family members and friends. The majority of the Curacao victims of physical domestic violence have experienced more severe forms of abuse, like being hit with objects. Men and women have similar rates of committing domestic violence; this is consistent with findings in Western countries. The self reports reveal that 25%-33% have committed psychological domestic violence, 11%-17% physical violence and 1%-6% sexual violence. Antecedents of perpetrating domestic violence are similar for both sexes, too. Being a victim of domestic violence increases the probability to become a perpetrator for both genders, especially in case of severe physical violence victimization. Other perpetrator risk factors are a high education for perpetrating psychological violence, and having children in the household for perpetrating physical violence. Curacao is a collectivist country, which is associated with higher male perpetration rates, with a matrifocal orientation and high gender empowerment, which is associated with gender similarity in perpetration rates. Since we found gender similarity in the perpetration rates on Curacao, we conclude that the influence of gender empowerment seems to be more decisive than the collectivistic/individualistic society dimension. Nevertheless we should interpret these results with caution, since we have measured domestic violence perpetration rates and not intimate partner violence perpetration rates. It is still very well possible that intimate partner violence is more often perpetrated by men, and that women direct their aggression more towards other family members, like children. Consistent with the current international literature, we found a strong association between different forms of abuse and negative healthcare outcomes. Victims of domestic violence have worse self assessed health, more health problems and more health care use than non-victims. All types of violence (psychological, physical and sexual) have specific effects on the victims health and consequently on the medical use and costs. Further research on the context, nature and severity of domestic violence in the Caribbean is necessary. Studies should preferably combine the strengths of national crime surveys and family conflict studies: nationally representative samples (including men and women), and questionnaires that include all possible experiences of psychological, physical and sexual assaults by current and former partners, family and friends. Details: Amsterdam: Vrije Universiteit, 2012. 142p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed November 22, 2013 at: http://dare.ubvu.vu.nl/bitstream/handle/1871/38342/dissertation.pdf?sequence=1 Year: 2012 Country: Caribbean Keywords: Child Abuse and Neglect Shelf Number: 131613 |
Author: U.S. Senate. Caucus on International Narcotics Control Title: Preventing a Security Crisis in the Caribbean Summary: U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), co-chairs of the Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control, today released a bipartisan report entitled Preventing a Security Crisis in the Caribbean that provides recommendations for Congress and the Obama Administration to enhance current security efforts in the Caribbean. "The Caribbean region has come a long way since it served as the primary transit route for South American drugs entering the United States in the 1980s," said Senator Feinstein. "Despite impressive gains, drug trafficking, local drug consumption and the U.S. demand for illegal drugs remain major causes of crime and violence. As enforcement efforts in Mexico and Central America inevitably move trafficking back to the Caribbean, we must better support our neighbors in the Western Hemisphere to combat the corrosive drug trade and minimize violence." "The Caribbean continues to be a major trans-shipment zone for narcotics." said Senator Grassley. "The recent spike in the use of drug-trafficking submarines there shows the lengths smugglers are taking to get their product to U.S. shores through the area. Drug trafficking and related violence in the Caribbean have a significant impact on our national security and on the lives of the region's people. The United States has to adapt to emerging trends in shipping techniques to help keep illicit drugs out of the United States and continue to help Caribbean nations strengthen their counternarcotics efforts. This report outlines actions the United States can take to help our partners in the Caribbean combat the transshipment of illegal drugs throughout the region." The report recommends: An assessment by the State Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) of where Sensitive Investigative Units are most needed in the Caribbean. Jamaica, with the fourth highest murder rate in the world, should be considered a top candidate for one of these units. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) should send a full criminal history of all deportees to authorities in the Caribbean so they are aware of the return of any criminals or drug traffickers. Caribbean countries' authorities do not currently receive a full criminal rap sheet from ICE on deportees returning home. United States technical assistance to the countries of the Caribbean to support the drafting of asset forfeiture laws and laws controlling precursor chemicals used to make illegal drugs. The integration of Puerto Rico into working level meetings held between the State Department and countries in the Caribbean on security and narcotics issues. Strong support of Haitian counternarcotic efforts. Strengthening of U.S. anti-money laundering laws. Continued extradition of drug kingpins from the Caribbean to the United States. The return of DEA helicopters used in Operation Bahamas, Turks and Caicos to the Exumas Islands in The Bahamas. Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Senate, 2012. 47p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 15, 2014 at: http://www.feinstein.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/files/serve/?File_id=90bb66bc-3371-4898-8415-fbfc31c0ed24 Year: 2012 Country: Caribbean Keywords: Drug Control Policy Shelf Number: 131926 |
Author: U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy Title: Caribbean Border Counter-Narcotics Strategy Summary: 2014 Caribbean Border Counter-Narcotics Strategy to reduce the threats posed to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands by drug trafficking, transnational organized crime, and associated violence. The documented cocaine flow through the Caribbean to the United States has more than doubled in the past three years to its highest level since 2008. “The 2014 Caribbean Border Counternarcotics Strategy will help reduce the flow of drugs into the United States and its territories while protecting communities in the region from drug-related crime and violence,” said Michael Botticelli, Acting Director of National Drug Control Policy. “This is a critical part of our national drug control strategy which promotes a balanced approach to public safety and public health.” The Strategy comprises the following objectives: 1.Enhance intelligence and information-sharing capabilities and processes associated with the Caribbean border. 2.Interdict illicit drugs and drug proceeds at and between U.S. ports of entry in the Caribbean. 3.Interdict illicit drugs and illicit drug proceeds in the air and maritime domains in and around the Caribbean border; maximize evidence and intelligence collection to support criminal investigations leading to associated and higher echelon networks. 4.Disrupt and dismantle transnational criminal organizations operating in and around the Caribbean border. 5.Substantially reduce the level of drug -related violent crime in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. 6.Strengthen communities and reduce the demand for drugs. In response to elevated drug trafficking and related crime, federal law enforcement agencies have increased their efforts in the region. The Departments of Justice and Homeland Security have devoted resources to address drug-related violent crime on the islands, and coordinated with federal and local partners to confront this ongoing threat to public safety. By building upon existing architecture, identifying needed resources, and enlisting state and local law enforcement in a genuine partnership, this Caribbean Strategy will enable the Nation to address the threat in a comprehensive manner. Details: Washington, DC: ONDP, 2015. 48p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 9, 2015 at: http://www.whitehouse.gov///sites/default/files/ondcp/policy-and-research/caribbeanstrategy5.pdf Year: 2015 Country: Caribbean Keywords: Cocaine Shelf Number: 134579 |
Author: Seelke, Clare Ribando Title: Trafficking in Persons in Latin America and the Caribbean Summary: Trafficking in persons (TIP) for the purpose of exploitation is a lucrative criminal activity that is of major concern to the United States and the international community. According to the U.S. State Department, there may be as many as 20 million trafficking victims around the world at any given time. In recent years, the largest numbers of trafficking victims have been identified in Africa and Europe; however, human trafficking is also a major problem in Latin America. Countries in Latin America serve as source, transit, and destination countries for trafficking victims. Men, women, and children are victimized within their own countries, as well as trafficked to other countries in the region. Latin America is also a primary source region for people trafficked to the United States, increasingly by transnational criminal organizations. In FY2013, primary countries of origin for foreign trafficking victims certified as eligible to receive U.S. assistance included Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador (along with Thailand, the Philippines, and India). Smaller numbers of Latin American TIP victims are trafficked to Europe and Asia. Latin America serves as a transit region for Asian TIP victims. Since enactment of the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA, P.L. 106-386), Congress has taken steps to address human trafficking by authorizing new programs, reauthorizing existing ones, appropriating funds, creating new criminal laws, and conducting oversight on the effectiveness and implications of U.S. anti-TIP policy. Most recently, the TVPA was reauthorized through FY2017 in Title XXII of the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 (P.L. 110-457). According to CRS calculations, obligations for U.S.-funded anti-TIP programs in Latin America totaled roughly $10.9 million in FY2012. On June 20, 2014, the State Department issued its 14th annual, congressionally mandated report on human trafficking. The report categorizes countries into four "tiers" according to the government's efforts to combat trafficking. Those countries that do not cooperate in the fight against trafficking (Tier 3) have been made subject to U.S. foreign assistance sanctions. Nicaragua and, for the first time, Chile received the top Tier 1 ranking in this year's report. While Cuba and Venezuela are the only Latin American countries ranked on Tier 3 in this year’s TIP report, 10 other countries in the region - Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Bolivia, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Panama, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, and Uruguay - are on the Tier 2 Watch List. Unless those countries make progress, they could receive a Tier 3 ranking in 2015. The 114th Congress is likely to continue oversight of TIP programs and operations, including U.S.-funded programs in Latin America. Congress is likely to monitor trends in human trafficking in the region, such as the involvement of organized crime groups in TIP, the problem of child trafficking in Haiti, and the vulnerability of unauthorized child migrants from Central America to trafficking. Congress could consider further increasing funding for anti-TIP programs in the region, as was provided for forensic technology to combat TIP in Central America and Mexico in P.L. 113-235, possibly through the Merida Initiative, the Central America Regional Security Initiative (CARSI), or through other assistance programs. For Details: Washington, DC: Congressional Research Services, 2015. 20p. Source: Internet Resource: CRS Report RL33200: Accessed February 16, 2015 at: https://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/RL33200.pdf Year: 2015 Country: Caribbean Keywords: Human Smuggling Shelf Number: 134628 |
Author: Day, Marcus Title: Making a mountain out of a molehill: myths on youth and crime in Saint Lucia Summary: This report reflects a short summary of one year (2012) of ethnographic observations and 'informal conversations' with various stakeholders across Saint Lucia, a small Caribbean nation. The effort was undertaken to assess the profile of youth gangs and their members in order to add depth to existing analysis on gangs in the Caribbean by using one country as a model. This summary of the report focuses on the interaction between the cannabis and cocaine markets, and the role of youth in that trade on the one hand, and the increase in violence indicators on the other. The Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM) and individual member states face shared challenges of youth involvement in crime, violence, gangs and other anti-social activities. It is not uncommonly heard the "drug problem" is to be blamed for this. This briefing wants to show this relation is far more complex and often misunderstood. Saint Lucia is a small island state, one of the fifteen members of the Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM). It became independent from the United Kingdom in 1979, and is situated in the south eastern part of the Caribbean and has a population of around 180 thousand. The Caribbean region, due to its proximity to cocaine producers in the South and its well established trading links with Europe and North America is well positioned as a transit zone, accounting for an estimated 25-30 per cent of cocaine reaching Europe. The main destination for the bulk of cocaine transiting Saint Lucia is Martinique and onward to Paris and beyond. The isolated coast lines and island geography contribute to the popularity of the sub region for the transhipment of cocaine. Details: Amsterdam: Transnational Institute, 2014. 8p. Source: Internet Resource: Briefing Series on Drug Markets and Violence, Nr 3: Accessed April 6, 2015 at: http://www.tni.org/sites/www.tni.org/files/download/dmv3-e.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Caribbean Keywords: Cocaine Shelf Number: 135160 |
Author: Ross, Cameron Title: It's All About Money: Crime in the Caribbean and Its Impact on Canada Summary: For most Canadians, the Caribbean is a place to take an idyllic break from winter. Sandy beaches and warm temperatures lure Canadians to the islands. Interaction with the local population is mostly limited to those who work in hotels and bars. What actually happens in the local communities is generally lost on the average Canadian. Appreciating the large Caribbean diaspora in Toronto and Montreal, the connections are dynamic between those sun-baked Caribbean communities and Canadian society. While those linkages are generally positive, there are disturbing trends in crime in the Caribbean. Herculean efforts are being made by the World Bank, the United Nations, and the regional Caribbean Development Bank to build regional capacity in governance and criminal justice systems. There is, however, a lack of political will by some Caribbean leaders to implement recommendations that would greatly improve citizen security and national institutions. Scholarly and professional studies have made recommendations for the security sector that are achievable, but the political will in many countries has been lagging. The Caribbean drug trade has long held the spotlight, but money laundering is increasingly a concern, especially with evidence of linkages between terrorist groups resident in Central America and Venezuela, which have close proximity to the Caribbean Windward Islands. Post-9/11 financial tools, utilized under the U.S. Patriot Act, have been effective in dealing with rogue governments, corrupt officials, and transnational criminal gangs. However, the use of the Internet for financial transactions and the emergence of digital currencies have made regulatory control challenging. This is significant considering the Canadian tourism, banking, and resource development in the region that have caused steady flows of Canadians, money and expertise to the Caribbean. This paper reviews Caribbean crime and its trends and impacts on Canada, money-laundering trends, and highlights policies that could be reinforced to better curb these trends. Crime is a societal problem for which solutions are found within communities. This applies equally to the Caribbean and to Canada. It is in Canada's best interest to accelerate efforts to aid the region, especially in the area of citizen security and reforms of the criminal justice system. Multi-lateral programs aimed at building regional capacities in governance and criminal justice systems are the areas in which Canada can play an important role. The creation of a Canada-Caribbean institute would go a long way in conducting scholarly graduate-level research in fields of security-sector reform. Details: Calgary: University of Calgary, School of Public Policy, 2014. 23p. Source: SPP Research Papers, Vol. 7, issue 19: Accessed July 15, 2015 at: http://policyschool.ucalgary.ca/sites/default/files/research/ross-caribbeancrime.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Caribbean Keywords: Corruption Shelf Number: 136072 |
Author: University of West Indies. Institute of International Relations Title: Private Security Companies in the Caribbean: Case Studies of St. Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago, and Jamaica Summary: The origin of this field research project on private security companies (PSCs) in the Caribbean came from a discussion at a workshop jointly hosted by the Institute of International Relations at The University of the West Indies (IIR UWI) and Project Ploughshares (PP) on 20-21 January 2010 at the St. Augustine campus in Trinidad and Tobago. The workshop brought together officials from 14 Caribbean Community (CARICOM) member and associate states to advance a regional response to the mounting threats and damage caused by illicit firearms in the Caribbean. Many of the workshop participants were senior police officers from the subregion. They were joined by representatives of Caribbean civil society organizations and regional organizations that included the Organization of American States (OAS) and the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC), as well as the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Discussion at this workshop pointed to the effects of illicit gun trafficking and use-as well as some possible solutions-that could be brought into sharper focus by examining the prominent role of PSCs in the Caribbean. PSCs provide security for industries, resorts, and even governments. As such, PSCs often are a first line of observation and response to criminal activities, but can also be a means by which guns move from licit to illicit markets or use. This project contributes to the still limited published information on PSCs in the Caribbean by creating case studies on the private security industry in St. Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago, and Jamaica. The research was designed to describe and analyze PSCs in each country, as well as current national laws and regulations related to the industry. The case study data provide a clearer picture of the roles and functions of PSCs, which can be used by government regulators and the industry itself to raise standards of performance, encourage appropriate policy development, and generally improve the security situation for citizens. The case studies also provide a better understanding of how PSCs fit into the CARICOM security architecture. Details: St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago: Institute of International Relations, The University of the West Indies, 2013. 162p. Source: Internet Resource: Project Ploughshares: Accessed August 10, 2015 at: http://ploughshares.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Priv_Security_Co_Carribean.webFINAL.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Caribbean Keywords: Illegal Markets Shelf Number: 136376 |
Author: Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS) Title: CARICOM Crime and Security Strategy 2013: Securing the Region Summary: I. The ideals of the CARICOM integration movement and the pillars of its foundation can only be realised in a safe and secure Community. The CARICOM Crime and Security Strategy (CCSS) constitutes an historic and defining moment for the Community in clearly articulating its security interests within the wider context of the shifting balance of global geopolitical power, increasing market competitiveness, public debt financing and profound economic uncertainties, threats of climate change and scarcity of key resources.This current situation is further exacerbated by profound influence of new technology and social media, the increasingly asymmetric nature of conflict, and the growing power of non-state actors, including transnational organized crime. II. The multidimensional and multifaceted nature of the risks and threats faced by CARICOM Member States are increasingly interconnected, cross-cutting, network-centric and transnational. The repercussions of emerging threats now propagate rapidly around the world, so that events in any part of the world are now far more likely to have immediate consequences for the Caribbean region. This rapidly - evolving set of security scenarios - and the absence of a common analysis of the risks and threats that affect CARICOM Member States - make this Strategy vitally necessary. III. The Council of Ministers Responsible for National Security and Law Enforcement (CONSLE) at its 5th Meeting mandated the CARICOM Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS) to develop a "Regional Crime and Security Strategy" (hereafter called the CARICOM Crime and Security Strategy). IV. The Strategy is guided by the principles and values of democratic choice, freedom, justice, prosperity, respect for territorial integrity, respect for and promotion of human rights and good governance all of which reflect the deepest convictions of the Community. V. The goal of the CARICOM Crime and Security Strategy is to significantly improve citizen security by creating a safe, just and free Community, while simultaneously improving the economic viability of the Region. VI. The Strategy identifies and prioritises the common security risks and threats which CARICOM is facing now, and likely to face in the future. It articulates an integrated and cohesive security framework to confront these challenges,and will therefore guide the coordinated internal and external crime and security policies adopted by CARICOM Member States, under their respective legal frameworks to the fullest extent. VII. The risks and threats identified in the CARICOM Crime and Security Strategy are prioritised into four (4) Tiers: • Tier 1 -Immediate Significant Threats. These are high-probability, high-impact events. They are the currentand present dangers. • Tier 2 - Substantial Threats. These are both likely and high-impact, but are not as severe as Tier 1 Threats. • Tier 3 - Significant Potential Risks. These are high-impact, but low-probability. • Tier 4 - Future Risks. These are threats where the probability and impact cannot be assessed at this stage. VIII. Tier 1 Threats consist of the mutually-reinforcing relationship between transnational organised criminal activities involving illicit drugs and illegal guns; gangs and organised crime; cyber-crime; financial crimes and corruption. Tier 1 Threats are the main drivers of current criminality levels, and has the potential to cripple the already fragile socio-economic developmental progress in CARICOM and the advancement of CSME. Tier 1 Threats are the Immediate Significant Threats to the Community and are primarily responsible for the Caribbean having one of the highest homicide rates in the world -30 people killed for every 100,000 inhabitants; (compared to a world average of 5). IX. The criminality perpetuated by the Tier 1 Threats is driven by the desire and pursuit of profit, power and prestige. The criminals are supported by the facilitatorswhich consist of unscrupulous and corrupt professionals within key sectors of the economy such as the financial, legal, justice, law enforcement and security, public officials and even government officialswho help them to secure and conceal their assets. X. Organised crime depends on the facilitators of criminality. It is the facilitators who operate both in the licit and illicit world who shield organised crime and allow it to flourish. There are also a range of social factors that enable and support this criminality, including large economic disparities, poverty, the rising cost of living, social exclusion and marginalisation, unemployment and multiple governance failures. XI. Tier 2 Threats are Substantial Threats to the Region. They include human trafficking and smuggling, natural disasters and public disorder crimes. XII. Tier 3 Risks consist of Significant Potential Risks and include attacks on critical infrastructure and terrorism. XIII. Tier 4 Risks consist of Future Risks, with unknown probabilities and consequences. They include climate change, pandemics and migratory pressure. Details: Washington, DC: U.S. State Department, 2013. 63p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 17, 2017 at: https://www.state.gov/documents/organization/210844.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Caribbean Keywords: Financial Crimes Shelf Number: 146969 |
Author: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Title: UNODC Regional Programme in support of the CARICOM Crime and Security Strategy: Preventing and Countering Illicit Trafficking and Organized Crime for Improved Governance, Justice and Security Summary: The Caribbean is situated in the midst of some of the world's major drug trafficking routes, between the worlds main drug producing countries to the South and the major consumer markets of the North. The geographic location of the region, the general lack of adequate law enforcement capacities to effectively monitor vast coastlines, as well as its susceptibility to exogenous shocks, are some of the factors explaining the Caribbean's extreme vulnerability to the threat of transnational organized crime and its various manifestations. The nature of these challenges makes regional cooperation and a coordinated response key factors in addressing the increasing plague of transnational crime, which threatens not only regional security, but also sustainable development and growth. 2. The UNODC Regional Programme (2014-2016) in support of the CARICOM Crime and Security Strategy serves as an overarching policy framework for UNODC’s technical assistance to the Caribbean region. The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) 'Crime and Security Strategy 2013' (CCSS) clearly illustrates the areas of greatest concern regarding regional security and outlines a set of Strategic Goals aimed at strengthening the region's capacity to combat transnational organized crime and its manifestations. In an effort to support the region in achieving these Goals, UNODC has worked closely with the CARICOM Secretariat and its Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS) to align technical assistance in such a way that these main areas of priority are adequately addressed, while avoiding any duplication of initiatives. 3. The Regional Programme consists of the following five sub-programmes, which not only reflect the range of thematic areas covered by the UNODC mandate, but also directly target the priority goals of the CARICOM Strategy: (i) Countering transnational organized crime, Illicit Trafficking and Terrorism; (ii) Countering Corruption and Money Laundering; (iii) Preventing Crime and Reforming Criminal Justice; (iv) Drug Use, Prevention and Treatment and HIV/AIDS and (v) Research, Trend Analysis and Forensics. These sub-programmes will guide the development of concrete UNODC projects and initiatives to be implemented in the region. The indicative budget of the Regional Programme, for its 3-year timeframe, stands at US$ 11,690,257. 4. The direct responsibility for the implementation of the initiatives included in this Regional Programme will lie with the UNODC Regional Office for Central America and the Caribbean in Panama (ROPAN). Standard UNODC rules and procedures will be observed, so as to ensure the appropriate level of internal oversight and evaluation. Furthermore, in line with the regional consensus on programme management, UNODC will adhere closely to agreed coordination and oversight mechanisms, through the submission of annual reports to the CARICOM Council of Ministers for Security and Law Enforcement (CONSLE), which will provide strategic guidance to and oversight of the Regional Programme’s implementation, so as to ensure adequate coordination in the implementation of activities at the regional level. . 1CARICOM Crime and Security Strategy 2013, Chapter 1 (Strategic Security Environment), paragraph 1.6. 2 The CARICOM Crime and Security Strategy 2013 was adopted at the Twenty-Fourth Inter-Sessional Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM, 18-19 February 2013, Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The Strategy, which is based on a 3-year timeframe, is the authoritative reference and guiding document for security issues within CARICOM. 5. This Regional Programme (2014-2016) is an over-arching policy framework defining the joint priorities for UNODC’s technical assistance to Caribbean Member States, in alignment with and in support of the implementation of the CCSS. In their "Political Declaration on Combating Illicit Drug Trafficking, Organized Crime, Terrorism and other Serious Crimes in the Caribbean", which was approved by the Caribbean Member States during a Ministerial Conference on 'Illicit Drug Trafficking, Transnational Organized Crime and Terrorism as Challenges for Security and Development in the Caribbean' (Santo Domingo, 17-20 February 2009), the participating Member States requested “UNODC to prepare, in coordination with regional and sub-regional partners, thematic programmes identified by the region, covering the priority concerns”. UNODC's Regional Programme constitutes the key element of UNODC's response to this request as well as to the more recent calls by Member States in the region for a revitalized engagement of the Office in the Caribbean. These requests are a consequence of the perception, by Governments in the region, of the increased threats that are posed to Caribbean societies and institutions by transnational organized crime. There is a strong recognition that, in order to prevent and counter the problem of illicit drugs and organized crime affecting the Caribbean, there is a need for enhanced technical cooperation and assistance by UNODC. 6. The Programme has been developed in close collaboration with the CARICOM Secretariat, the CARICOM Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS), the Regional Security System (RSS), the Caribbean Aviation Safety and Security Oversight System (CASSOS), as well as Member States in the region (through programming missions as well as discussions with Permanent Missions), and reflects the key priorities of regional and national stakeholders. Substantively, the Regional Programme is underpinned by and alligned with the Strategic Goals outlined in the CCSS. 7. The Regional Programme also draws significant elements from the Caribbean Community Action Plan for Social and Development Crime Prevention 2009-2013, as it fully incorporates its main pillars and updates its priorities for the period 2014-2016. 8. In the context of the CCSS, this Regional Programme will therefore cover Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad & Tobago. Strategic and programmatic synergies will also be sought with Cuba and the Dominican Republic in the framework of CARIFORUM. 9. The Regional Programme is designed as a strategic tool that reflects the region's main priorities for action, and ensures complementarity with the various on-going and future initiatives of UNODC and its main partners in the region in the area of justice and security. It provides a roadmap towards providing required expertise, technical tools and services to enhance national and regional capabilities to prevent and counter organized crime, including drug trafficking and terrorism, by building stronger societies based on the rule of law and human rights. It promotes regional cooperation and integration, and supports regional and country-level capacity building, as determined by existing national needs, priorities and specificities. 10. The overall vision is that, by the year 2016, countries of the region will be in a position to count on strengthened institutions and cooperate in an effective and sustainable manner to counter the destabilizing impact of organized crime. While the ultimate attainment of this vision depends on the commitment of countries in the region and their international partners, UNODC, through the development of this Regional Programme, reiterates its commitment to support the realization of this vision through its engagement at the regional, sub-regional, national and local levels, in close collaboration with the CARICOM Secretariat, CARICOM IMPACS and other relevant regional security insitutions, such as the RSS and CASSOS. Details: New York: UNODC, 2013. 79p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 18, 2017 at: https://www.unodc.org/documents/ropan/UNODC_Regional_Programme_Caribbean/UNODC_Regional_Programme_for_the_Caribbean_2014-2016_in_support_of_the_CARICOM_Crime_and_Security_Strategy_2013.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Caribbean Keywords: Drug Trafficking Shelf Number: 146652 |
Author: Howe, Glenford Title: Sexual Violence Against Children in the Caribbean Summary: Over the past two decades or more Caribbean countries have made steady but slow progress in addressing the issue of violence against children by for example incorporating the issue into national legislation and by criminalizing child sexual abuse and imposing greater sanctions against perpetrators. They were among the first countries globally to ratify the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and have also signed various other child- related conventions. All governments have developed some type of policy, initiative, programme or action to combat child sexual abuse. They all have mechanisms and agencies with responsibility for child protection, including responsibilities relating to the prevention, reporting and management of responses to child sexual abuse. As a consequence of the efforts of international development partners, governments, non-governmental organizations and community based entities, there is now a growing heightened awareness among the public about issues relating to child sexual abuse. In most, if not all countries there is acknowledgement among policy makers of child sexual abuse as a socio-economic and human rights issue, as well as a public health challenge linked to various forms of sexual and reproductive health challenges, the spread of sexually transmitted diseases and various mental health concerns. The global prioritizing of violence against children and of child sexual abuse has also contributed significantly to helping shape public and official awareness of child sexual abuse. The 2006 United Nations Global Study on Violence Against Children and the activities surrounding it, energized regional governments to do more to prevent sexual violence against children. This renewed commitment and focus on preventing child sexual abuse, and other forms of violence against children, was reflected in the 2012 CARICOM Declaration on Child Sexual Abuse of the Twenty-Third Meeting of its Council for Human and Social Development (COHSOD) on Children and Youth which was convened under the theme: "Charting our future: An integrated development agenda for children and youth", in Guyana on 10-11 July 2012. This declaration condemned all forms of sexual abuse of children and agreed that there could be no justification for such practice. At that meeting CARICOM also endorsed the convening of a Regional Task Force to develop a strategic plan to address sexual violence against children. The COHSOD also agreed to review the entire system of investigation and prosecution of child sexual abuse cases to ensure compliance with the principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child . Although not properly developed and focused there is also beginning to emerge important research on child sexual abuse. One landmark study in this regard was the UNICEF sponsored research focusing on child sexual abuse in Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, spearheaded by Adele Jones and Ena Trotman in 2009 . This study found that child sexual abuse was widespread across the region and its findings and the publicity it generated, served to help shatter the silence surrounding sexual violence against children, and stimulated governments, and other stakeholders to begin thinking seriously about the issue. As a direct consequence of the findings of this report and the publicity it generated several countries including, Grenada and Dominica, among others, have developed Child Sexual Abuse National Action Plans to address prevention and manage their responses to sexual violence against children. Yet in spite of these achievements and progress there remains serious challenges and unresolved issues relating to the efforts to prevent and manage responses to child sexual abuse. The research for this review revealed that there were across regional states many challenges and weak areas in relation to prevention and response, as well as to service delivery to sexually abused children and their families. These challenges may be summarized as follows: - A general lack of specialized services (for example psychological and therapeutic care) l A need for more and better accredited staff training - Inadequate or absence of out-of hours full and responsive service coverage - Confusion and fear surrounding disclosure - Inadequate provision to deal with variations in reporting and referral pathways - Slow and inadequate response of services - Variations in waiting times to have initial assessment - Variations in service accessibility and availability due to such factors as geographical location - Insufficient focus on the gender dimensions of child sexual abuse for prevention and treatment purposes - Lack of child friendly Police, Court and Medical procedures for abused children - Insufficient prevention and awareness raising programmes - Very few services targeted at parents, guardians, caregivers and families - Persistence of silence, shame and stigma among sexually abuse children and their families - Lack of specialized provisions for specific groups including children between birth and 5 years, children with disabilities, children with cultural and religious peculiarities, and children with language/translation issues - Insufficient allocation of financial, human and other resources - Need for more school, family and community-based resources and services l Weak participation and involvement of children in decisions affecting them - Inadequate data collection and use of data to inform service provision - No consistent approach to information sharing among agencies - Not enough focus on the provision of service when it is most needed, as opposed to when it becomes available - Weak or non-existent monitoring and evaluation mechanisms and processes This progress report points to the fact that while much has been accomplished since the 1970s to the present, the progress since the launch of the UN Global Study on Violence Against Children in 2006, has not been as significant as it could or should have been given the greater focus and attention on child sexual abuse generated by the UN Study on Violence Against Children. The recommendations contained in this progress report are based on the review of academic and policy reports, newspapers, stakeholder interviews, and the results of survey of regional governments. Collectively, the recommendations point to a need for greater prioritization, commitment and urgent action by governments and other stakeholders to highlight the problem of child sexual abuse, and for the adoption or enhancement of measures to prevent and reduce the prevalence of sexual violence against children. In many ways the recommendations reflect and endorse the commitments made by regional governments when they ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child and other child protection related instruments, as well as the declaration of the Twenty-Third Meeting of the CARICOM Council on Human and Social Development (COHSOD XXIII) which viewed with "grave concern the alarming prevalence of sexual abuse of children in Member States". (See Appendix 1) Likewise the recommendations in this report can also be seen as a reflection of the aspirations, expectations, concerns and directives contained in the various statements and declarations made by regional youth on the issue of violence against children. Details: Bridgetown, Barbados: UNICEF by Barbados and Eastern Caribbean Office, 2013. 96p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 21, 2017 at: https://www.unicef.org/easterncaribbean/ECAO_Sexual_Violence_againstChildren_in_the_Caribbean.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Caribbean Keywords: Child Abuse and Neglect Shelf Number: 145067 |
Author: Sutton, Heather Title: Crime and Violence in The Bahamas Summary: his report is part of an IDB technical note series on crime and violence in the Caribbean. The overall aim is to establish a baseline in the crime prevention arena against which progress can be assessed. The report compiles the available data from multiple sources in order to provide a diagnosis of the size, characteristics, and changing nature of the problem of crime and violence in The Bahamas. In addition, the report provides a survey of the various crime prevention and suppression policies, programs and projects adopted by government and private and nongovernmental organizations in recent years. In performing the above-mentioned tasks, the report offers an assessment of the data collection, analysis, and crime response capabilities in The Bahamas, and makes suggestions about the most effective way forward. Details: Washington, DC: Inter-American Development Bank, 2016. 144p. Source: Internet Resource: IDB series on crime and violence in the Caribbean ; (IDB Technical Note ; 1058); Accessed April 27, 2017 at: https://publications.iadb.org/bitstream/handle/11319/7771/Crime-and-Violence-in-The-Bahamas-IDB-Series-on-Crime-and-Violence-in-the-Caribbean.pdf?sequence=4 Year: 2016 Country: Caribbean Keywords: Crime Prevention Shelf Number: 145172 |
Author: Sutton, Heather Title: How Safe Are Caribbean Homes for Women and Children? Attitudes toward Intimate Partner Violence and Corporal Punishment Summary: This policy brief uses data from the 2014/2015 Latin American Public Opinion Project survey to examine attitudes toward intimate partner violence and child physical discipline in six Caribbean countries. Although Latin America has a reputation for a particularly macho culture, Caribbean adults were 10.8 percent more likely to tolerate a man beating his wife if she neglects the household chores and 5.7 percent more likely to if she is unfaithful. Characteristics of those who were more tolerant of intimate partner violence included being lower income, younger, resident of a rural area, and not completing secondary education. Similarly, those who say it is necessary to physically punish children in the Caribbean - and those who experienced physical punishment frequently themselves - were more prevalent than in Latin American countries. Experiencing frequent physical punishment during childhood was found to be a statistically significant correlate of male tolerance of intimate partner violence after controlling for other individual characteristics. Policy options to prevent intimate partner violence and childhood violence are examined. Details: Washington, DC: Inter-American Development Bank, 2016. 21p. Source: Internet Resource: Policy Brief No. IDB-PB-258: Accessed May 8, 2017 at: https://publications.iadb.org/bitstream/handle/11319/7998/How-Safe-Caribbean-Homes-Women-Children-Attitudes-toward-Intimate-Partner-Violence-Corporal-Punishment.pdf?sequence=1 Year: 2016 Country: Caribbean Keywords: Corporal Punishment Shelf Number: 145356 |
Author: Sutton, Heather Title: Restoring Paradise in the Caribbean: Combatting Violence with Numbers Summary: Crime and violence are serious obstacles to long-term growth and development. They lead to injury and the loss of human life, erode confidence in government, reduce the competitiveness of industries and services, negatively alter the investment climate, contribute to emigration, and can lead to the loss of skilled and educated citizens. Consequently, improving citizen security has become a priority of the Inter-American Development Bank in its efforts to support the governments and citizens of Latin America and the Caribbean. While citizen security has become an ever-increasing concern for many Caribbean countries, the magnitude of the problem has not been matched with an equally robust response in terms of research. Cross-national studies on the prevalence, causes, and effects of violence in the region are few. Empirical studies showing which policies have worked to reduce crime in the Caribbean are even scarcer. This volume analyses new data collected in household and business victimization surveys. These surveys allow us to understand crime from a primary source - the victims themselves. As such, this study goes beyond much of the existing literature, which relies primarily on police data. It contributes new information to our understanding of crime patterns, victim profiles, determinants of particular types of crime, and directions for crime reduction in the region. While the crime situation varies among countries, broadly speaking the Caribbean suffers from uniquely high levels of violent crime. After providing an overview of crime in five Caribbean capital cities, this volume addresses several factors associated with violent crime. These include youth, violence against women and children, neighbourhood characteristics, gangs, guns, and the police and criminal justice systems. The cost of this crime and violence to the Caribbean - about 3 percent of GDP - is significant. The study finds that victimization has negative ramifications for businesses, economic growth, tourism arrivals, emigration, and life satisfaction. However, perhaps the most unique aspect of this study is that it has been written with the specific intention of informing policy and programme design. The authors' optimism, and ours, about the potential to restore paradise in the Caribbean rests on the growing base of evidence on what we have already learned about crime prevention worldwide. The authors recognize the gaps in knowledge and data collection that exist in the Caribbean, but wisely argue that countries need not wait for further studies to begin to reduce violence. Making use of the risk and protective factors identified here, policymakers can adapt evidence-based programmes that have been successful in other settings, while monitoring and evaluating their results in the Caribbean context. There is much work in the region that is promising and much that is ineffective. This report helps to identify both, and urges that rigorous evaluations of the more promising programmes be conducted. National strategies should include policies and interventions based on sound knowledge of what actually works, and not on what might or should work. Details: Washington, DC: Inter-American Development Bank, 2017. 311p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 27, 2017 at: https://publications.iadb.org/bitstream/handle/11319/8262/Restoring-Paradise-in-the-Caribbean-Combatting-Violence-With-Numbers.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y Year: 2017 Country: Caribbean Keywords: Crime Prevention Shelf Number: 145823 |
Author: Gaona, Tania Lucia Title: Crime and Violence in the Caribbean Summary: The Growth and Development in the Caribbean Practicum is a collaborative enterprise with the Caribbean Department of the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) focusing on two sub-projects: Socio-Economic Profiles and Crime and Development. Four teams of two graduate students each completed one country economic and political analysis for their socio-economic practicum focusing on the Bahamas, Jamaica, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago. Each participant in the Crime and Development completed a literature review focusing on one of the five key areas of crime: crime trends, crime and business, violence in the home, gangs and gang violence, and youth violence and violence in schools. The reports serve as a capstone project for the completion of their Master's studies in the School of International Service and provide background and recommendations for the Caribbean Department of the IADB, as well as inputs into its work-program. The socio-economic reports (in a separate document) are focused on the analysis of the economic and political organizations of the countries and draw main findings and policy recommendations accordingly. A key message is that the four countries share certain similarities economically and politically, but have core dissimilarities as well. The similarities include small size of populations ranging from less than half a million to about 3 million people, proneness to natural disasters due to their geographic position, high rates of brain drain, a history of colonialism, closeness to the United States, and dependency on foreign markets. However, the countries also have differences including their economic growth and stability, external debt, and economic structure, i.e. service or commodity based. The summarized recommendations range from addressing internal fiscal and monetary imbalances, adopting policies that can lead to increasing employment in their main sectors of production (with an emphasis on addressing the shortcomings of the educational system and decreasing the administrative burden on private sector activity), and modernizing public sector institutions to increase revenue generating capacity, permit needed infrastructure public investments and reduce the burden of debt for the future generations. The recommendations in the reports are tailored to specific country circumstances. The crime and development literature reviews focused on accessing the problem of crime and violence and its adverse impact on development efforts in the Caribbean, identifying the factors associated with crime and violence, and possible solutions to ameliorating the high prevalence of criminal and violent acts in the region. While crime studies in the Caribbean have proven to be a difficult task because of inadequate data and reporting, the Practicum produced an in-depth analysis of the existing evidence with respect to five important topics: crime trends, crime and business, violence in the home, gangs and gang violence and youth violence and violence in school. The reports document a substantial increase in reported crime over time, and of associated economic and social costs. The categories of crime examined in this review are interlinked, and risks exist of self-reinforcing negative loops. The reports also looked at mitigation initiatives, both in the Caribbean as well as elsewhere in the world. While encouraging initiatives exist, there is need for considerably more formalized study of what can work, particularly in the Caribbean context. Details: Washington, DC: American University, 2015. 101p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 2, 2017 at: https://www.american.edu/sis/practica/upload/S15-IDB-Complete-Draft-Crime-and-Violence-Practicum-AU.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Caribbean Keywords: Crime Statistics Shelf Number: 145901 |
Author: Ruprah, Inder J. Title: Mothers Are Right: Eat Your Vegetables and Keep Away From the Girls (Boys): Bullying Victimization Profile in the Caribbean Summary: About 29 percent of teenagers are bullied at school in the Caribbean. Victims of bullying are more lonely, sleep less, and have fewer friends than do their non-bullied peers. Although victims of bullying eat more frequently at fast food restaurants, they also experience more periods of hunger than do non-bullied children. Acting out with the goal of being considered a "cool" teenager does not work; even if adolescents frequently smoke cigarettes, bullies may still intimidate and harass them. The opposite is true for virgins. Good parenting can, however, make a difference in preventing a child from being a victim of bullying. Growing international evidence has shown that school-based programs can reduce the prevalence of bullying and that bullying has long-term negative consequences into adult life (for both bullies and victims). Details: Washington, DC: Inter-American Development Bank, 2014. 13p. Source: Internet Resource: Policy Brief IDB-PB-225: : Accessed June 20, 2017 at: https://publications.iadb.org/bitstream/handle/11319/6591/IDB_PB_225_Bullying%20Victimization%20Profile%20in%20the%20Caribbean.pdf?sequence=1 Year: 2014 Country: Caribbean Keywords: Bullying Shelf Number: 146310 |
Author: Jones, Marlyn J. Title: Data Gathering on Police Officers and Civil Service Training Courses in the Caribbean Region Summary: The region faces common security threats. Some of the problems identified in the region relating to public security have been attributed to inadequate training in policing personnel. In order to modernize police services and equipping both police and the civilian public security personnel to address the scourge of crime, regional institutions such as CARICOM and the OAS have recognized the importance of greater collaboration and coordination in addressing the crime and security problem. Agreements have been reached in principle on the need to develop a regional human resource strategy for crime and security, and several organizations have commenced, or have been mandated to do an assessment of regional training needs. More advanced training and higher educational requirements are central to modernizing police services. This was emphasized in the 2002 CARICOM Task Force Report. Seven years after the Task Force Report, there is still negligible advanced training available at higher ranks, especially within police forces in the Caribbean region. A regional human resource strategy for crime and security is advocated for its potential for greater coordination and standardization, but more so, cost effectiveness. While all Caribbean jurisdictions have the capacity to, and deliver basic recruit training, only Trinidad, Jamaica and Barbados offer regional management level training. Trinidad offers the most advanced leadership and management training, Jamaica offers mid-level training while Barbados has specialization for junior command level courses. High Command officers in pursuit of advanced managerial training continue to either attend Bramshill College in the UK, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Academy, Canada or the FBI Academy in the USA. Others have pursued Bachelor, Masters and Law degrees primarily at the University of the West Indies, and also at other universities abroad. The physical infrastructure and the human resource capacity exist within the region to deliver training. Building capacity to deliver more courses locally will significantly aid standardization of course offerings and reduce the level of duplication inherent in current programmes. It will be more cost effective, and less of a strain on human resources, especially in smaller jurisdictions where force size create some challenges. But more importantly, it will address the gap in lack of advanced managerial training. The three jurisdictions offering management level training are cognizant of the importance of e-learning in providing flexibility to deliver training, however, each is in a different stage of implementing e-learning, to supplement, rather than replace face to face instruction. Retention of face to face instruction is advocated for the opportunity it provides to network, co-ordinate and collaborate to address security problems. A major event can have a significant impact on human resource requirements, and by extension, the availability of personnel to participate in both internal and external training. Because of the small contingent of personnel, this can be more acute in smaller jurisdictions, Within each of the three jurisdictions where management level training is offered, cultural events can impact human resource requirements and dictate the ideal time to embark upon long-term training that requires participation from local public security personnel Events that impact on planning include Carnival in Trinidad and Tobago, Crop-over in Barbados and large scale sports or cultural festivals in Jamaica. Other one-off events include the Summit of the Americas and the Commonwealth Heads of Government Conference being hosted in 2009 by Trinidad and Tobago. Local training is scaled back during major events making these spaces available for external use. Similarly, weather is not an impediment to hosting training programs in the Caribbean, because, except in the event of natural disasters or hurricanes, there is little variation in temperatures throughout the Caribbean where the temperature is moderate year-round. To address the need for training of senior personnel, a regional human resource strategy for crime and security, could, as a second stage, be operationalized at the national level, with further application at each sub-level. Such an elaboration can then facilitate standardization and the development of regional centres of excellence, in which to develop specialization for comparative advantage. Details: Kingston, Jamaica: University of West Indies, 2009. 47p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 28, 2017 at: https://www.oas.org/dsp/documents/data_gathering_on_trainning.pdf Year: 2009 Country: Caribbean Keywords: Police Education and Training Shelf Number: 146440 |
Author: Wallace, Wendell C. Title: An Exploratory Study on the Impact of Organized Crime on Societies in Small Island Developing States: Evidence from Five (5) Caribbean Countries Summary: Circumstantial evidence suggests that organized crime has witnessed a global explosion. Despite this disconcerting sign, investment in academic research on the impact of organized crime on societies in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) remains limited. As a result, this study was conducted to assess the impact of organized crime on SIDS in the Caribbean. The study utilized archival research, secondary data and self-administered questionnaires to forty (40) top level security and defense professionals in Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Jamaica, St. Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago to better understand the impact of organized crime on societies in the region. The results indicate that there are negative social, political, communal, economic and governance and governability impacts on Caribbean societies as a result of organized crime. Details: Washington, DC: William J. Perry Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies, National Defense University, 2017. 36p. Source: Internet Resource: Perspectivas, March 2017: Accessed September 19, 2017 at: https://www.hsdl.org/?abstract&did=800405 Year: 2017 Country: Caribbean Keywords: Crime and Development Shelf Number: 147390 |
Author: Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Title: Anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing measures The Bahamas. Mutual Evaluation Report Summary: This report provides a summary of the AML/CFT measures in place in The Bahamas as at the date of the on-site visit (November 30 to December 11, 2015). It analyses the level of compliance with the FATF 40 Recommendations and the level of effectiveness of The Bahamas' AML/CFT system, and provides recommendations on how the system could be strengthened. Details: Paris: FATF, 2017. 157p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 27, 2017 at: http://www.fatf-gafi.org/media/fatf/documents/reports/mer4/cfatf-4meval-bahamas.pdf Year: 2017 Country: Caribbean Keywords: Counter-Terrorism Shelf Number: 147829 |
Author: Foglesong, Todd Title: Measuring the Contribution of Criminal Justice Systems to the Control of Crime and Violence: Lessons from Jamaica and the Dominican Republic Summary: Governments facing high levels of crime and violence must act through their criminal justice systems to increase safety while delivering justice. To do this rigorously, governments need to improve their measurement tools. This paper examines the measurement tools employed today in two developing countries - Jamaica and the Dominican Republic - showing how existing data might be analyzed and presented more effectively. We describe the many tactics used by police, prosecutors, and other institutions within the criminal justice system as falling under two broad strategies: (1) removing criminals from society, and (2) reducing the proximate causes of crime. All countries depend on some combination of these two strategies, but while governments tend to favor the first, the second usually produces greater crime reduction. We show how improving five specific performance indicators can help governments reduce the proximate causes of crime, maximizing the contribution of criminal justice systems to public safety. Details: Cambridge, MA: Harvard University, Center for International Development, 2007. 38p. Source: Internet Resource: KSG Working Paper No. RWP07-019: Accessed May 3, 2018 at: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=976538 Year: 2007 Country: Caribbean Keywords: Crime Measurement Shelf Number: 105680 |
Author: Trujillo, Juan C. Title: The Effect of Weather on Crime in a 'Torrid' Urban Zone Summary: This study investigates the relationship between weather, the lunar cycle and crime in Barranquilla, Colombia, a city in the Torrid Zone, which in contrast to more commonly studied temperate zones is hot and humid year-round. Our analysis is based on a panel dataset consisting of daily variations in four weather variables (temperature, humidity, precipitation and wind speed), the lunar cycle, and two indicators of criminal activity, namely homicides and interpersonal violence. To help identify causal effects, we account for variation in alcohol consumption and employ a comprehensive set of fixed effects. Our results suggest that weather patterns do not influence the likelihood of homicides in this area, but can be an important predictor of rates of interpersonal violence. These findings could be a valuable tool for law enforcement personnel and emergency response units when it comes to resource allocation, particularly in cities like Barranquilla, Colombia, with resource constraints. Details: Unpublished paper, 2018. 34p. Source: Internet Resource: Leeds University Business School Working Paper: Accessed May 30, 2018 at: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3184814 Year: 2018 Country: Caribbean Keywords: Homicides Shelf Number: 150383 |
Author: Bernales, Alejandro Title: Blue-Collar Crime and Finance Summary: We introduce time series data across 13 Caribbean countries sourced by the Inter-American Development Bank, Compete Caribbean and the World Bank to examine for the first time the financial consequences for diverse types of companies, principally privately-held that are the victim of a blue-collar criminal act. The data indicate 23% of companies in the sample were subjected to crime, including acts such as theft and vandalism or worse. The data indicate crime has a real and substantial cost on financing outcomes. In the 3-year period subsequent to being the target of a blue-collar criminal act, companies receive substantially smaller loans, higher interest rates on loans, and end up financing a higher percentage of working capital and a lower percentage of fixed assets through the use of internal funds. These findings are robust to issues related to causality, matched samples, and Heckman selection effects, among other things. Details: Unpublished paper, 2018. 31p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 2, 2018 at: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3127862 Year: 2018 Country: Caribbean Keywords: Crime Against Businesses Shelf Number: 150445 |
Author: Di Pierro, Maria Alejandra Title: Addressing Sexual Exploitation, Trafficking In and Smuggling of Children in CARICOM Member States, 20 Years After Stockholm Summary: The Inter-American Children's Institute (IIN), is a Specialized Organization of the Organization of American States (OAS) in policies related to childhood and adolescence. As such, the IIN assists the States in the development of public policies, contributing to their design and implementation from the perspective of promotion, protection and full respect for the rights of children in the region. The First World Congress Against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children, held in Stockholm, Sweden, in 1996, was the event which positioned the issue of commercial sexual exploitation of children in the public eye for the first time. The Congress was organized jointly by UNICEF, the NGO Group for the Convention on the Rights of the Child and ECPAT International and drew more than 1,900 participants from over 130 countries, including: government representatives of 122 States, the United Nations, intergovernmental organizations, non-governmental organizations and a delegation of young people (FAPMI-ECPAT Spain, 2012). This is a qualitative study based on secondary sources of information on the Member States of CARICOM: Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Lucia, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago. The information contained in this paper was obtained from the Reports that States submit to the Committee on the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Concluding Observations that the Committee drafts in response. This report is in two parts. The first contains information compiled from the reports, arranged methodically according to the Stockholm classification. The second part contains conclusions and recommendations arising from an analysis of the information, highlighting common features among the States of the region, issues that show progress and others that should be reviewed in the light of theoretical, conceptual and practical developments that have occurred over the last twenty years and more. Details: Montevideo (11600), URUGUAY: IIN:Inter-American Children's Institute, 2018. 63p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 2, 2019 at: http://www.annaobserva.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/XV-Informe-al-SG_-eng.pdf Year: 2018 Country: Caribbean Keywords: Child Prostitution Shelf Number: 155265 |