(LOOP NEWS CARIBBEAN) – The CARICOM Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS) is hosting its inaugural Virtual Security Conference.
The five-day event which runs from today July 27 to July 31, is being held under the theme Securing our Caribbean Community within the Era of COVID-19 and Beyond.
In response to the unprecedented crisis presented by the pandemic, regional governments imposed several measures to stymie its spread.
CARICOM, in a statement posted on its website, said: “In support of these measures, law enforcement and security officials played a crucial role to prevent and control the spread of the virus, while at the same time managing and operating within the changing multi-dimensional security environment.”
The security conference will bring together security experts, government officials, academics, private sector representatives and civil society officials.
Together they will discuss the challenges, impact and implications of COVID-19 on Caribbean security.
The Virtual Conference will address the thematic areas such as:
- Peace, Security & Development – A Roadmap For The Future In The Context of COVID-19;
- Criminality & Organised Crime During COVID-19: Present and Future Trends;
- Policing In The Time of a Pandemic- Lessons Learnt;
- Enhancing Cyber Security In The Age of COVID-19;
- COVID-19 & the Future of Borders;
- Crisis and Gender-Based Violence;
- Climate Change and Security- Building Resilience in Small Island Developing States (SIDS)
- Impact and Implications of COVID-19 on Prisons and Correctional Services; and
- Maritime Security and the Blue Economy
One of the primary objectives of the conference is to facilitate the constructive exchange of information, best practices and lessons identified during the COVID-19 outbreak so that states can strengthen their abilities to continue to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and prepare for and respond to future pandemics.
