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Sustainable Human Development and

the Citizen Security Agenda:

Defining priority Actions in Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean

Conference Report

Palmville Conference Centre, Coco Palm Resorts

Rodney Bay Village, Saint Lucia

May 5, 2015

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CONTENTS

page

1. Introduction 3

2. Opening Ceremony 3

3. Introduction to the Sessions and the Agenda

Session 1: Citizen Security and Sustainable Human Development 6

4.

Presentation: Guidance in Action 7

5. Session 2: Contextualising Sustainable Human Development in Saint Lucia 7

6. Session 3: Panel Discussion - Characteristics and perceptions of Crime and

Violence in St. Lucia 12

7. Session 4: Drivers & Contributing Factors of Crime & Violence 17

8. Session 5: Advancing Citizen Security at community Level 21

9. Session 6: Evidence- based decision making 23

10. Session 7: ACTION PLANNING & NEXT STEPS 26

`12. General Comments 26

13 List of Participants 28

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1. Introduction

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Sub-Regional Office for Barbados and the

Organization of Eastern Caribbean States(OECS), in collaboration with the Department of Planning

and National Development, Saint Lucia, hosted a one day conference on Tuesday June 5th 2015 at

the Palmville Conference Centre, Rodney Bay Village, St. Lucia. The Conference spotlighted

Sustainable Human Development and the Citizen Security Agenda, under the theme, “Defining

priority Actions in Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean”.

The approach adopted by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to citizen and

community security is inclusive and comprehensive, and attempts to tackle all of the potential

causes of crime and violence. This multifaceted approach helps countries to integrate violence and

crime control measures, by targeting a broad range of issues such as lack of social cohesion,

impunity, lack of social cohesion, drug trafficking, the proliferation of illegal firearms, human

trafficking and migration.”

2. Opening Ceremony

Welcome & Opening: Mr. John Calixte

Deputy Permanent Secretary, Department of Planning and National Development.

The formal opening Ceremony of the Conference was chaired by Mr. John Calixte, Deputy

Permanent Secretary in the Department of Planning and National Development. He welcomed

Members of the head table, UNDP staff and delegates to the conference and provided a brief

overview of the local Citizen Security agenda.

He brought into sharper focus some of the main issues pertaining to Sustainable Human

Development and Citizen Security confronting the region. The primary area of focus for Saint Lucia

is the high levels of crime and violence and how these phenomena contribute to eroding national

economic development. He underscored the national achievements within the MDG framework

and the eventual implementation of the Post 2015 agenda, and presented some of the key issues

that pertain to attaining sustainable Human Development in Saint Lucia.

Welcome and Introductory Remarks Ms Lara Blanco, Deputy Resident Representative, UNDP Barbados and the OECS

Ms. Blanco cited the high levels of crime and violence in the region and the need to provide

sustainable and appropriate responses to this ever increasing phenomenon. She spoke of the need

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for a multi-sectoral approach which should include stakeholder dialogue to stem the prevailing

trends. Increasing crime and violence and how they contribute to the erosion of economic

development across the region. The threat presented by trans-national crime further exacerbated

the perception of insecurity by citizens of the region. There is therefore need for a conversation on

how regional best practices can contribute to the reversal of current trends in crime and violence.

Youth is the cohort most affected by crime and violence. Crime and violence also severely limit the

ability of young people to access available opportunities for self development. The increased

availability of illegal firearms is a disturbing trend which requires priority attention.

The UNDP is seeking to build a critical mass of civil society organizations that would help bring

about managing solutions to the problem of crime and violence.

To inform the formulation of its priority interventions, the UNDP is embarking upon a series of

National Dialogues with each member territory. This activity in Saint Lucia is the first in the series

of national dialogues.

Remarks by Sherwin Stephenson: Programme Manager, Crime & Security, CARICOM Secretariat

Mr. Stephenson highlighted crime and violence as some of the key development issues

confronting the region and their high impact on Human Development. He highlighted the illicit use

of firearms and addictions and the over-reliance on the criminal justice approach. Of high priority

is the need to reduce exclusion and marginalization. Governments will be required to play a

central role in the implementation of an action plan prepared by COHSOD (Council for Human and

Social Development). The Plan calls for integration of Human Resource planning and crime

prevention and inclusion of inter regional networks and crime data collection.

A keystone requirement in the region is a synthesis of crime prevention with education, poverty

reduction, social marginalization and youth at risk programmes. Furthermore, the underpinnings

of the plan assume integration of the NGO and business sectors into national crime fighting

strategies; use of a multi- disciplinary approach, and crime victimization data in the context of the

action plan. It was noted that public perceptions of the performance of authorities when crimes

occur is generally negative. The high incidence of unreported crime by the public is of growing

concern. Future actions must rely on empirical data and ought to be accompanied by safety

activities to help protect witnesses to crimes.

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Feature address:

Senator the Hon. Victor P. La Corbiniere

Minister for Legal Affairs, Home Affairs & National Security

The feature address was delivered by Senator the Hon. Victor P. La Corbiniere, Minister for Legal

Affairs Home Affairs & National Security. During his address, Senator La Corbiniere highlighted

some of the prevailing issues confronting the Region and the slow pace of implementation of

policy decisions at the local and regional levels. He cited the achievements of global initiatives

such as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the successor Post 2015 Development

Agenda. He also emphasized the myriad of social problems faced by the region and the largely

ineffective responses that have been leveraged to date at these vexing social problems.

Senator La Corbiniere commented on the need for good governance and the desirability for

Government, civil society, and the business community to pursue the adoption of ISO principles

and standards in our plans and interventions. He also cited the 2002 OECS Development Charter,

which highlights core values for achieving sustainable development. He lamented that current

education systems are not adequately preparing youth for the modern, technology driven job

market.

The need to evaluate where we are in terms of our development and what lessons could be learnt

from our past development programmes and experiences was discussed as areas for priority

interventions.. He further argued, that development is not to be achieved at the expense of the

environment.-

A greater focus on human rights is required. Witness protection is increasingly needed for criminal

cases because of the increasing danger of reprisals. It has become a national development

imperative to reduce unemployment, especially youth unemployment and for providing

sustainable livelihoods to our working population.

In addition, there is need to give consideration to how we could accelerate the principles and ideas

of the OECS. Unfortunately, programmes and activities take an inordinately long time for

implementation. Even greater acceleration is required to implement youth programs where the

needs are most critical.

3. Session 1.

Introduction to the Sessions and the Agenda

Citizen Security and Sustainable Human Development

Ms Lara Blanco, Deputy Resident Representative, UNDP Barbados and the OECS

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The session provided an overview on methods and approaches that could be used to advance

Citizen Security in the Caribbean using a community- based approach. It involves putting together

a strategy and instating mechanisms to help determine whether the strategies are effective.

The transition from the Millennium Development Goals to Post 2015 Agenda and the embedded

Sustainable Development Goals was underscored as factors underpinning regional efforts which

support increased citizen security.

Recently, important milestones have been achieved including the launch of the Caribbean Human

Development Report. Some key issues identified in the report include:

• The need to strengthen capacity for law enforcement in prisons and similar institutions;

• Strengthening social cohesion and reduction of alcohol consumption, insecurity and

violence;

• Special attention needs to be paid to reduction of the frequency of crime against women;

• Promotion of human rights needs greater sophistication. Law- enforcement and protection

against violence should be enhanced by much greater access to justice in an expedited

manner;

• Modernization of justice and security systems requires initiatives that promote violence

prevention.

• Citizen security can be enhanced by the development of knowledge products, academic

programmes and gender based violence prevention.

• Focused attention needs to be paid to victims of crime and violence. It is imperative that

special emphasis be paid to youth violence prevention since youth is over-represented

among the minority that commits crime.

• Increased attention must be paid to ammunition and firearm control which will contribute

to decreasing the incidence of gun violence. To achieve the foregoing, the following are

identified as major development imperatives:

• Commitment at the highest levels of Government

• Need for political and social consensus

• Timing and prioritization

• Clear prioritization and gradual implementation

• Targeting of specific population segment/s

• Policy articulation

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4. Presentation: Guidance in action Daniel Alvarez

The social landscape of the Caribbean is characteractied by a high incidence of violence, a multi-

causal phenomenon of grave concern to the citizenry.

The United Nations Development Programme seeks to strengthen countries to deal with citizen

security related issues from a human development perspective. The methodology is

comprehensive and concentrates not only on the reduction of crime indicators but includes

improvement of living conditions and access to justice in an efficient and quick manner, peaceful

coexistence and the rule of law.

The approach adopted (the PNUD/UNDP approach) is to strengthen countries in their quest to

deal with the citizen security challenges from a human development perspective, through crime

prevention and control; strengthening of communities; promotion of human rights and gender

mainstreaming.

Among the main activities implemented are provision of support to national public policies on

citizen security information management, youth violence prevention and modernización of justice

and security institutions and the management and implementation of associated policies.

Importantly, activities are subjected to robust monitoring and evaluation of policies. These

activities are strengthened by networking with a range of Civil Society and Private Sector

institutions.

Some of the services provided towards firearms and ammunition control consist of:

• Advice on the legal SALW (Small Arms and Light Weapons) framework;

• Registry systems for information consultation on SALW;

• Volunteer handing over of SALW;

• Arms prohibition programs with national coordination of the school based arms violence

prevention programs;

5. Session 2 : Contextualizing Sustainable Human Development

Marinus Pascal

The presentation was designed to provide a snapshot of the social landscape in St. Lucia and to set

the tone for the ensuing discussions for the duration of the conference. Human development was

defined as the expansion of people’s freedoms to live long, healthy and creative lives; to advance

other goals they have reason to value; and to engage actively in shaping development equitably

and sustainably on a shared planet. People are both the beneficiaries and drivers of human

development, as individuals in groups, institutions and communities.

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Sustainable Human Development was seen as being inextricably linked to: Global Change

(environment); Globalization (economic); Human Development (social/culture); Personal

responsibility

Intergenerational responsibility was identified as a key feature of Sustainable Development insofar

as the need for each individual to leave the planet as a better place for future generations.

Many paths to Sustainable Development were identified and among their key pillars are: Good

legislation; Good Governance; Reduction of Poverty; Improvement of the quality of life of

people; making the best use of available resources; Provision of Social safety nets to the

vulnerable; Overcoming corruption and environmental protection;

Poverty, deprivation and vulnerability are recognized as the main manifestations of exclusion and

inequality among citizens of the country. In the context, of Saint Lucia poverty is referred to, inter

alia, as:

“Any situation in which an individual or group possesses less than some standard of living that has

generally been defined as acceptable. This standard may be determined either on the basis of the

material condition of other persons or groups in the society, or on the basis of a measure of the gap

between what is possessed and some objective indicator of elementary human need. Poverty is

thus a complex of multiple deprivations.” (Trade Adjustment and Poverty in Saint Lucia, 2007, p.

14)

Characteristics of Poverty in Saint Lucia

• Unemployment and underemployment within the labour force

• Inadequate and poor housing and sanitation

• Predominantly a rural phenomenon with prevalence rate ranging from 35% to 50% in

rural communities

• Continuous rural to urban migration

Characteristics of the poor in St Lucia

• Both urban and rural based.

• Relatively young

• 22 per cent of them are children

• 29 per cent of them are adolescents

• 8 per cent are young adults

• 35 per cent belong to the economically active population

• Vulnerable:

• Only 6 per cent have any means of medical coverage

• Only 2.0 per cent have post-secondary education

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• Male heads of households are primarily engaged in unskilled agricultural work

• Females and female heads engaged in work akin to sales and services, and unskilled

agricultural activities

• Dependent on assistance

• Large households (over the national average of 4.1)

• Lack of possession of durable goods

Income inequality

Income inequality remains high, with the richest 20% of the population earning 48.3% of the

income, while the poorest 10% only earn 2% of income. Unemployment is also a source of

concern, having increased from 7.22% in 1991 to 13.54% in 2001, and having particularly severe

impacts in some part of the country, including banana producing areas. (Social Policy for Human

Development).

Socio-economic status by district(Saint Lucia)

District Population Percent Percent Poor Poverty Poverty

St Lucia 2005/06 164,842 1.6 28.8 9.0 4.1

St Lucia 1995 144,000 7.1 25.1 8.6 4.4

Castries City 16,594 1.7 13.1 3.4 1.8

Castries City 1995 --- --- 15.2 4.4 1.7

Castries Sub-Urban 51,100 0.6 22.2 6.7 2.9

Castries Sub-Urban --- --- 22.6 8.2 3.8

OTHER DISTRICTS 2005/06

Anse-la-Raye / 10,287 5.3 44.9 17.7 9.6

Soufriere 9,329 0.4 42.5 12.4 4.8

Choiseul 5,401 38.4 9.7 3.8

Laborie 7,190 42.1 10.6 3.5

Vieux-Fort 14,096 4.8 23.1 10.2 5.9

Micoud 18,071 4.0 43.6 14.1 6.8

Dennery 11,986 34.2 11.4 5.2

Gros-Islet 20,787 0.4 24.4 5.8 2.2

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Chronic Unemployment I Saint Lucia

2003-2009

Employment status and Poverty

Financial Cost of Youth Crime

Youth crime data from Jamaica and St. Lucia, puts a conservative estimate of annual government

expenditures in tangible costs which amounts to approximately US$33 million for Jamaica and

US$25 million for St. Lucia. Assuming that arrest, court appearances and detention costs and

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durations in St. Lucia and Jamaica are similar to those in Trinidad and Tobago, the total social

financial cost from youth crimes, even before including the cost of the police force, is

approximately US$39 million in Jamaica and US$46 million in St. Lucia.

Human Rights

The most serious human rights problems included reports of unlawful police killings, abuse of

suspects and prisoners by the police, and long delays in trials and sentencing.

Other human rights problems included corruption, violence against women, child abuse, and

discrimination against consensual same-sex sexual activity.

Although the government took some steps to prosecute officials and employees who committed

abuses, the procedure for investigating police officers was lengthy, cumbersome, and often

inconclusive. When the rare cases reached trial years later, juries often acquitted, leaving an

appearance of de facto impunity. (UNHCR)

The Bordelais Correctional Facility, which has an intended capacity of 500 inmates, held 554

inmates at year's end, of whom 280 were sentenced prisoners and 274 were on remand awaiting

trial or other judicial disposition. There were eight female inmates and 50 youth offenders ages

16-21. Female inmates were segregated from male inmates, as were youth offenders. Detainees

were segregated from sentenced inmates. (Female inmates

Prisoners and detainees had reasonable access to visitors and were permitted religious

observance. Prison authorities permitted prisoners and detainees to submit complaints to judicial

authorities without censorship. Prisoners and detainees had access to attorneys for this purpose.

(UNHCR Report 2011)

There is a perception that Human rights activists favour the perpetrators of crime and are

accordingly unsympathetic to the victims.

Health

Leading Causes of Death in Saint Lucia

LEADING CAUSES OF DEATH Rate%

1. Diabetes Mellitus 79.22

2. Stroke 68.68

3. Coronary Heart Disease 53.23

4. Hypertension 34.03

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5. Prostate Cancer 23.75

6. Influenza & Pneumonia 21.53

7. Violence 20.84

8. Lung Disease 15.27

9. Breast Cancer 14.59

10. Road Traffic Accidents 14.32

11. HIV/AIDS 10.72

12. Lymphomas 10.71

The burden of disease is a growing concern in St. Lucia. This includes non-communicable

diseases, particularly diabetes, heart disease and obesity; as well as communicable diseases,

especially HIV/AIDS. Non-communicable diseases place an increasing strain on health sector and

household resources. High blood pressure is the most prevalent lifestyle disease affecting

residents and diabetes ranks second (high blood pressure, 67%; diabetes 35%; heart condition

12%; cancer, 2%). The burden of disease falls more heavily on women and on the poor. (St. Lucia

Country Poverty Assessment: 2005/06)

The Constitution of Saint Lucia states that, all citizens have a right to a decent life (Saint Lucia

Constitution Order 1978, page 7, (e, f). This translates to the potential right to food, clothing,

education, shelter, health services employment, and security. However, there are gaps between

the reality of citizens and their potential well-being which are attended by risks and vulnerabilities.

6. Session 3- PANEL DISCUSSION

Characteristics and perceptions of Crime and Violence in St. Lucia

Mr. Errol Alexander, Police Commissioner, (ag.)

Ms. Yolanda Jules, Director of Probation and Parole Service

Mr. Cyprian Yarde, Substance Abuse Secretariat

Mr. Patrick Arlain, Assistant Director, of Administration, Bordelais Correctional Facility

Mr. Errol Alexander, Police Commissioner, (ag.)

Police Commissioner (Ag.), Errol Alexander provided an overview of some prevailing local

perceptions of crime and violence. There is widespread fear of crime particularly, fear of homicide,

fear of burglary and fear of rape among women. This appears to be an island-wide phenomenon.

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The crime saga is characterized by substantial fluctuations in the number of incidents reported to

the Police. Between 2012-2014, there has been a gradual increase in the detection rates of various

categories of crime. There is evidently a greater level of confidence by the public in the Royal St.

Lucia Police Force. Success stories and positively trending statistics are not widely reported in the

print and electronic media.

Three categories of offenses constitute the gravest concerns by the Police. They are:

• Summary Offenses (considered to be nuisances to citizen security)

• Crimes against property(mainly burglaries)

• Crime against the person(mainly robbery)

Due to the increase in the use of technology, particularly the use of modern technology with the

inauguration of the Forensic Laboratory, there has been a 52% increase in detection rate of crime.

The Police Force is currently upgrading its recruitment practices for new entrants into the Force.

The syllabus for training is also being revised and improved.

Homicides, particularly murders, are of great concern to St. Lucians. Homicide rates are quite high

as indicated below, in relation to the relatively small population

Ms. Yolanda Jules, Director of Probation and Parole Service

The presenter highlighted some of the main factors which contribute to the rising levels of

insecurity from the perspective of the Department of Probation and Parole Services. She alluded

to the prevailing trends of lack of parental control and also family support in the supervision and

nurturing of minors.

Even young parents may not be sufficiently technically savvy and very often, do not possess the

requisite skill to monitor from exposure to potentially harmful social media, which sometimes

year homicides murders

2006 43 (39 murders)

2007 27 (27 murders)

2008 39 (36 murders)

2009 39 (27 murders)

2011 50 (39 murders)

2012 44 (37 murders)

2013 34

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result in exposure of young people to cyber bullies, predators and pedophiles. Some may

themselves become cyber bullies.

There is no holding facility for young female offenders. S a result, they are vulnerable to being

attacked or reoffending.. Ideally, there should be a Male/Female Rehabilitation facility to cater to

this growing need, and to ensure that these young offenders are successfully reintegrated in

mainstream society.

Young offenders who are suspended from school are at high risk. Those who are not remorseful of

their criminal actions are at even greater risk. The community in which the probationer lives is in

strategically positioned to provide supervision and some control to the management of the

offender. The absence of a comprehensive witness protection programme presents a major

constraint to the administration of justice. In recent times many witnesses have been fearful for

their safety, fearing reprisals for giving testimony in a Court of Law.

Mr. Arlain

The Bordelais Correctional Facility was built to accommodate 475 inmates. At the moment the

facility is 38.3% over capacity with a current complement of 646 inmates. The cost of upkeep of

inmates is very high. Providing meals for inmates cost XCD $20,000 per inmate per year.

Arms and drug trafficking are major drivers of criminal, activity. A large proportion of the crimes

committed by inmates, are committed under the influence of drugs (mainly alcohol). Significant

amounts of crime are committed to obtain drugs and very often there is the involvement of one or

more gangs. The Bordelais Correctional Facility is adversely affected by inadequate monitoring of

the nearby sea border and airspace by the Police.

53% of inmates were gang members immediately before incarceration (48% of those on remand

compared to 59% of those convicted);

• 30% reported that the crime for which they were presently incarcerated was related to

involvement in or membership of a gang—those convicted (44%) were significantly more

likely to indicate this compared to those on remand (17.5%), p<0.05;

• 16% were previously imprisoned for gang-related activities—again, those convicted (22%)

were significantly more likely to indicate this compared to those on remand (10%), p<0.05;

• 53% reported that drug use was part of their gang activity before imprisonment--50% of

those on remand compared to 56% of those convicted;

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• 67% indicating that trafficking was part of their gang activities--68% of those on remand

compared to 67% of those convicted;

• Some 87% of these offenders felt that it was not likely that they would readily go back to

gang activities after release. However, 13% felt that it was likely--16% of those on remand

compared to 10% of those convicted.

The most common offenses leading to incarceration at Bordelais are as follows:

• Sexual offences

• Physical assaults

• Robbery

• Stealing

• Capital crimes

• Drug use

In most instances, the crimes listed above are linked to the drug trade. In some instances, students

and minors are used to facilitate others commit crime.

Approximately twenty five percent (25%) of the adult population of the Bordelais Correctional

Facility were convicted for stealing. This is largely due to lack of parental control and family

support in addition to inadequate supervision of minors throughout the society.

There are increasing incidents of cyber bullying using modern information and communication

technology.

Juvenile females are at risk as there is no holding facility for this cohort. There is no established

programme to Integrate probationers into communities.

.Supervision for juveniles suspended from school is virtually non-existent. Access to facilities to

treat inmates with drug addiction and related conditions is extremely limited.

Mr Cyprian Yarde.

Drug use and abuse are inextricably linked to criminal acts.` Intentional injuries are among the

leading causes of death in the country. Assaults are the leading cause of death for males in the age

group 15-24. Injury accounted for the highest burden on productive years of life lost

– 40.5 working years of life lost - males

– 39.5 working years of life lost - females

The drug-using, crime-committing population is heterogeneous, and there are multiple paths that

lead to drug use and crime personality disorders. Some violent acts are attributed to the direct and

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acute effects of the psychoactive drugs consumed. Violence is also committed as a means of

generating financial resources to obtain drugs. Much of the violence experienced is associated

with the illicit drug trade, territorial fights, and confrontations between gangs of drug traffickers,

among others.

The Saint Lucia Prison Study concludes;

• 40.3% of convicted offenders had committed the crime while under the influence of drugs,

compared to 64% of those on remand;

• 76.9% of convicted offenders reported that the crime was linked to production, selling

and/or trafficking of drugs, or directly linked to drug trafficking (76.9%), or to activities that

were against drug laws (71%). This compares to 74.3% of those on remand who reported

that the crime was linked to production, selling and/or trafficking of drugs, or directly

linked to drug trafficking (40%), or to activities that were against drug laws (40%);

• About 23% of convicted offenders had commit the crime in order to obtain drugs for their

own use, compared to 51.4% on remand;

• More than one-fifth (23%) of convicted offenders reported that they had

willfully/intentionally consume a substance in order to boost their courage to commit the

crime, compared to 51.4% of those on remand;

• A notably large proportion of offenders (23% convicted and 26% on remand) reported that

their crime was perpetrated on a victim who was under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Respondent: Professor Anthony Harriott:

Lead Consultant Caribbean Human Development Report on Citizen Security

Criminal violence is an urban problem throughout the Caribbean. Formation of youth gangs and

youth participation in these gangs is very prevalent. This situation is Similar in other Caribbean

countries. These emerging trends are red flags for the region and point to disturbing trends for

the future. Gun crimes represent a major escalation in violent crime. Some territories record over

20 gun crime incidents per 10,000 population. Both Trinidad and Jamaica have high incidence of

violent gun crimes while in Barbados the rate seems much lower.

The policy narrative throughout the Caribbean has changed as citizens’ grapple with greater

threats to their personal security. There is need for a long term approach to existing problems that

pertain to citizen security. Policy makers must attempt to fully understand the nature and root

causes of the social problems we face and must adopt an evidence based approach for generating

the required solutions.

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There is a strong body of evidence which suggest a positive correlation between youth

unemployment and violent crime and particularly homicide. Most violent crime including

homicides, are correlated with poverty and inequality. This has resulted in social decline in

communities accompanied by a dearth of social control.

Detection rates are up while criminal immunity is down. Evidence based policy changes are

imperative using a comprehensive approach to dealing with crime and citizen security. There

ought to be a much greater focus on youth at risk with interventions that are gender sensitive.

Governments throughout the region need to allocate greater amounts of resources towards crime

control.

7. Session 4. PANEL DISCUSSION

Drivers & Contributing Factors of Crime & Violence

Ms. Dahna Jn. Charles, Gender Relations Officer, Division of Gender Relations

Mr. Patrick Mathurin, Senior Youth and Sports Officer

Mr. Augustus Cadette, Deputy Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Social Transformation, Local

Government and Community Development

Mr. Joachim Henry, Executive Director, St. Lucia Social Development Fund.

Dahna Jn. Charles

Gender based violence was defined as any act that results in, or is likely to result in, physical,

sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or

arbitrary deprivations of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life.” - Convention on the

Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) 1993

It Includes:

• Rape

• Sexual exploitation

• Sexual harassment

• Domestic violence

• Assault

• Human trafficking

Administrative records suggest that Gender-Based Violence is prevalent in St. Lucia. In 2012 there

were Four hundred and seventy (470) Cases of Domestic violence tried by the Family Court. The

Women’s Support Centre- reported 104 crisis calls

The top three offences were:

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• Sexual Intercourse with a Minor- 18

• Indecent assault- 11

• Rape- 9

How Gender-Based Violence Contributes to Insecurity:

Gender-Based Violence contributes to the breakdown in family structure and acts as a hindrance

to economic stability and growth (lost productivity). It is a significant barrier to women’s

participation in development processes and cconstrains the ability of women to respond to

social, political and economical change.

Gender-Based Violence contributes to Insecurity by facilitating the Intergenerational cycle of

abuse and creating a predisposition for other types of abuse. Gender-Based Violence also:

• increases Poverty

• Weakens support networks

• Creates division in community

A variety of Services are available to victims of Gender-Based Violence. The Women’s Support

Centre provides succour to cases of Domestic Violence/Intimate Partner Abuse through:

• Short-term emergency accommodation and Housing assistance

• Counseling and legal advise

• Information on available community resources

• Education on domestic abuse

• Assistance to develop a Protection Plan

• Empowerment Training

In addition, the Royal St. Lucia Police Force has established a Vulnerable Persons Team to deal

with victims of Gender-Based Violence. Another significant development in dealing with cases of

gender-based violence is the hearing of Sexual assault cases are heard in camera.

Some of the Shortcomings experienced by the justice system include:

• Lack of victim support

• Absence of rape crisis centre and hotline

• Delay in the delivery and execution of protection orders

• Law enforcers’ reluctance to act (e.g. DV cases)

• Delays in court proceedings

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Nationally, there is a pronounced lack of faith in the justice system and many incidents go

unreported. The personnel involved in the justice system are poorly trained, while there is

constant shuffling of existing staff.

Men are conspicuously absent from the gender-based violence prevention dialogue and this

constitutes a matter of grave concern. In addition, there are significant gaps in the data collection

and compilation system.

Patrick Mathurin

From the perspective of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the major problem confronting youth is

Education. Unemployment is seen as a symptom of the problem. The Education system is not

responsive to the needs of youth there is a strong correlation between economic status and

academic achievement. Agriculture and Tourism are the main engines of growth of the country,

but they have had negative impacts on youth. Agriculture required additional farm hands such that

many students missed school to engage in farming activities. Tourism provides commendable

support to hundreds of families while, unfortunately, significantly reducing contact between their

hotel employed parents and their children.

There are increasing numbers of younger parents who evidently do not possess the parenting skills

so necessary to help mould the next generation. Thus, the burden of parenting is often left to the

school system. Some parents do not like the school holidays and prefer their children in the

custody of the schools. Caring for their children is deemed too burdensome. The prevailing

attitude of school children leaves much to be desired and indiscipline is widespread. There is a

dearth of positive role models for our youth to emulate. Many young men are socialized by the

‘block’, where the find self esteem and power. The ‘block’ also serves as the cradle for youth gangs

and induction into criminality.

The music enjoyed by youth is very often filled with smut and violence. Much of this music

originates from Jamaica.

The economic opportunities available to young people are few. Life-long learning opportunities

should be offered to young people for their academic and social development.

Augustus Cadette

The presenter cited a definition of Citizen Security according to the Inter-American Commission on

Human Rights (IACHR). Citizen Security is the protection of rights that are particularly vulnerable

to criminal or violent acts such as the right to life, the right to physical [and psychological]

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integrity, the right to freedom, the right to due process and the right to the use and enjoyment of

one’s property, without prejudice to other rights.

He argued that in the absence of data we are limited as to what we can seriously pursue, because

there are some things that we already know. The violent Crime being experienced is being

committed primarily by young men mostly in Castries.

He noted correlation between increases in crimes against others and crimes against self (suicide),

and suggested that there is a lurking variable that is driving both phenomena. Contrary to the

belief that the youth violence observed is man versus man, it may be man versus society.

Something in the society rather than in the man, so all these sessions on conflict resolution,

workshops aimed at resolving conflict between individuals or external conflict, might just be just

scraping the surface or treating the symptom. Perhaps more of them need to be focused on

conflict between man and his society, temperance values; the things that make people more

"anchored" and moving placidly amidst the haste. Among the factors which drive conflict are:

• Social pressure and low incomes

• Weak institutions (of redress and otherwise)

A simple model for results in the fight against crime might reside in a credible signal and the

probability of receiving the legislated punishment is very high. Articulating the hypothesized nexus

between drug trafficking and crime on one hand and the level of indebtedness of small states on

the other, clearly identifies the potential channels of causation.

The situation with boys in Saint Lucia is disturbing, and exacerbated by:

� poor socialization of genders

� alcohol and drugs

� unreliable mental health statistics

� inadequate census data on crime and victims of crime

� Government Debt

• Technology and the increased sophistication of criminal drug gangs may be explored as an

“explanatory” or “control” variable.

Joachim Henry

The Poverty Reduction Fund is the lead agency in the fight against poverty. Poverty is mainly a

rural phenomenon although there are significant pockets of poverty scattered around the more

urbanized north of the island. One of the flagship programmes of the Fund is the Koudmen Ste.

Under this programme, the indigent household is the unit of intervention. The Holistic

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Opportunities for Personal Empowerment programme (HOPE) seeks to address the immediate

needs of the targeted families while simultaneously equipping them with resources required to

secure and in some instances create more sustainable livelihood opportunities. The Short Term

Employment Programmed (STEP) is designed to provide temporary employment and relief to poor

households while simultaneously, helping to stimulate the domestic economy and engage in

beautification programmes to improve roadsides and other elements of the natural environment.

Poverty appears to drive certain categories of crime. There is strong evidence of urban drift, with

some of those persons engaging in crime within their new environments/.

8. Session 5. Advancing Citizen Security at community Level

Framces Henry

Terrance Leonard

Tevin Shepherd

Frances Henry

One area of priority for the region is the advancement of social and cultural rights for the diverse

peoples of the Caribbean. The population must be protected from violations of human and social

rights which occur on a frequent basis. In this regard the Royal St Lucia Police Force works with

stakeholders to advance crime reduction and development of responses that are proactive and

responsible.

The Force has embarked in a range of initiatives that promote human rights training which

accentuate freedoms and rights guaranteed under the Constitution. These activities are supported

by the appointment of Community Policing Liaising Officers. The Force has endeavoured to

strengthen relations with the public with a series of Town Hall meetings and ‘Meet the

Commissioner’ dialogues with the residents of communities across the island. ‘Call the Police’ is a

radio programme in which the public is provided with answers to any question that pertain to law

and order. A television talk show is planned for the near future. The Police Force has also created

a cheerleading team that performs at public places, schools and other institutions island-wide.

Public education is provided to the general public through the print and electronic media, via

programmes such as ‘Know your Laws’ and ‘Crime Tips’. The Force also actively participates in

several disciplines within the local sports arena.

The Police Force seeks to provide holistic responses to the needs of witnesses to crime and

violence. The Criminal Investigation Unit together with the Major Crimes Unit are working

assiduously towards maintaining an effective crime management system. There is now a strong

data analytical capability which helps with more effective investigation and targeting. In general,

crime trends are decreasing.

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Terrance Leonard

The island is subject to many vulnerabilities. A recently released report titled ‘The Impacts Report’

highlighted systemic problems within the law enforcement environment and the outcomes of the

frustrations experienced within the Police Force and general society to contain rising levels of

crime.

To add to the problems, there have been some cases of human trafficking involving phantom

Medical Schools, which target students from the Asian continent via the internet.

Our vulnerability as a small island developing state is underscored by recent cyber attack on

Government facilities on a neighbouring island.

The island is also very vulnerable to natural disasters, particularly hurricanes and tropical storms,

earthquakes, floods and volcanic eruptions.

Chronic unemployment is a dominant feature of the labour market with unemployment being

consistently above 20% and youth employment hovering at about 50%.

The main groups most affected are:

• The Poor

• Women and girls

• Disabled

• Youth

• Elderly

• Whole communities

Youth violence is commonplace and this trend is increasing with youth becoming both the main

victims and the perpetrator of violent crime. There are several supportive and preventative

institutions that help in dealing with the problem including:

• The Department of Probation & Parole

• The Bordelais Correctional Facility

• The Boys Training Centre

• The Uptown Gardens Girls Centre

• The Transit Home

Some measures that may be taken to help arrest the trends in youth criminality include:

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• Ensuring completion of Secondary education.

• Effective parenting programmes

• Collection and analysis collection if data

• Social investment in high violence communities

• Investing in Early Childhood Development

• Creation of second chance programmes

• Opportunities for reintegration into mainstream society

Tevin Shepherd

The island is experiencing a culture of youth gangs that commit acts of crime and violence. Some

of the perpetrators are youth in their early teens. Some of these activities are facilitated through

the use of modern technology and in particular cyber bullying. A more robust approach is needed

to tackle the emerging trends of youth violence.

A blend of approaches is recommended by the National Youth Council, which include:

• Adopting a more robust approach to investigation into criminal youth gangs.

• The Royal St Lucia Police Band can train youth to develop musical talents

• Exploring possibilities for a programme to build emotional intelligence for youth

• Creation of a Youth Commission

• Finalize and implement the Youth Policy.

• Provide training to youth in Mobile Apps. Development and IT design

• Establishment of facilities for youth to rehearse the arts

• Creation of a Youth Communion

• Youth programmes should be integrated into Primary and Secondary school syllabi

• Parents should be provided with training under the Roving Care -Givers programme.

One initiative that might engage the attention of young men at the Boys Training Centre, is

training in the development of Apps for Smartphones.

The completion of a new Youth Policy should be accelerated and the prescriptions articulated in

the policy implemented as a measure of urgency.

9. Session 6.

Evidnce- based Decision making to address Crime and violence through Data Collection and

Management.

• Ms. Lara Blanco, Deputy Resident Representative, UNDP Barbados and the OECS

• Mr. Juan Pablo Gordillo, Citizen Security Specialist, UNDP Regional Service Centre,

Panama

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• Mr. Daniel Luc, Citizen Security Team Lead, UNDP Regional Service Centre, Panama

• Professor Anthony Harriottt, Lead Author, Caribbean Human Development Report on

Citizen Security.

The presentations made the case for approaching citizen security through evidence based decision

making thus addressing Crime and Violence through Data Collection and Measurement.

The approach adopted by the United Nations Development Programme entails strengthening

countries to deal with the citizen security goals from a human development perspective, and

includes crime prevention and control; sstrengthening of communities and use of a human rights

and gender mainstreaming approach.

The main lines of work of the agency encompass:

• National Public Policies on Citizen Security

• Local management of citizen security and coexistence

• Information management and Observatories of Violence

• Armed violence prevention

• Police institutions and Justice sector

• Gender violence

• Attention to the victims of crime and violence

• Youth violence prevention

The experiences of implementing Citizen Security programmes in South America provided a

number of lessons from which the Caribbean may benefit. The programme placed particular

emphasis on observatories and information that allows monitoring and evaluation as

complementary evidence to policy development on citizen security and coexistence

The programme is supported by national multidisciplinary teams that were assigned to measure a

system of indicators which enable Government to institute timely interventions based on observed

trends.

The programme is now expanded to support the integration of the region on the issue of security

and to encourage better decision-making based on reliable and accurate information systems. In

addition the programme provided support to the formulation of public policies through more

accurate statistics for better national and regional analysis of the problems.

Participating institutions are challenged to enhance coordination among sources of information

notably the police, the public prosecutor's office, statistical offices and legal Ministries. The

programme was also able to identify best practices and tools for analysis and leveraging

information so that they are adapted for application to the region. Other interventions and

programmes comprised:

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• Provision of technical assistance for technological integration design between

resources and improvement of the exchange of information at the regional level.

• Integration of intelligent equipment necessary for the development of platforms for

use, analysis, and use of information.

• Development of fora and regional meetings on security issues.

• Promotion of the exchange of experts, successful models and the evidence-based tools.

• Development of a strategy for communication; use and management of information

for citizen security.

• Expansion and promotion of investigations of specific issues such as domestic violence,

feminicide, crimes against the integrity and others

• Creation of a network with CSOs and other Academic Centers and Universities.

• Identification of proposed Indicators

• Development of complementary sources to provide a complete picture

• Experience in CAM: Key Stakeholders engagement

• Engaging Civil Society

• Citizen responsibility for accountability and participation in discussions on Citizen

Security

• In depth analysis conducted by Civil Society Organizations

• National Observatories should be convened through national information management

units, including dialogue with all actors, involving citizen´s demands and subjective

available data.

Dr. Anthony Harriott

Dr. Harriott made the case for justification of selected indicators. There is need for Data reliability

and comparability to drive the processes. Violence reduction is a high priority if we are to achieve

increased citizen security. An indication index on the homicide rate would assist in planning

interventions and more precise targeting.

There is need to define our core values and promote a greater understanding of the degree to

which life is respected against the background of family and community conflicts.

The desirable outcome is to become a society that embraces the value of conflict without violence.

The homicide rate tells us more about our own attitudes towards life, community and personal

values.

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Many crimes remain unreported because of the anticipation of shame and the victim remains

silent further emboldening the perpetrator.

Some of the indicators we need to consider are:

• The Social health of our society.

• Rules of our conduct

• Characteristics of law abiders

• Opportunity structure

We all judge our society by some ideal such as, respect for life, respect for physical space and

respect for the sanctity of the home. Notwithstanding, we are vulnerable to crimes against the

home, crimes against children and older persons as well.

10. Session 7.

ACTION PLANNING & NEXT STEPS

• A list of citizen security/sustainable development indicators is to be identified.

• The Department of Planning & National Development will serve as the lead agency for

this initiative and any further follow up actions..

• As a follow up to the Conference, a stakeholder meeting is to be convened to

determine the way forward.

• Resources and other forms of support are available from the CARICOM Secretariat.

Some resources are available online.

• A number of Regional Organizations are committed to providing support to the process

of sustaining citizen security.

• A national activity coordinator is to be identified

• A contact list of workshop participants is to be circulated.

11. General comments and recommendation from delegates

• There is need to reduce the rates of murder, other crimes and violence and focus on

community, putting security in the hands of the people, not the state;

• There is a discernable Lack of direct communication with the people;

• The country is a dire need for more dialogue about prevention of crime and violence which

is a more cost effective option;

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• Security is widely seen as the job of the Police when it’s the business of the people;

• Young people as young as 15 years old are admitted to the Bordelais Correctional Facility;

• Senior gang members do not directly participate in gun violence or peddle hard drugs,

such as cocaine;

• Risk reduction is important and high risk activity such as music that promotes violence ,

late parties and high alcohol consumption must be earmarked for some kind of regulation;

• A child seen with a gun on the brochure - not in synch with the thrust of our symposium;

• The picture on the brochure is a toy gun and not an accidental picture. It was put there for

a purpose, as part of an exchange programmes, titled “ Guns for balls”;

• Praedial larceny is a problem that the country has to deal with urgently;

• The UN has responsibility to provide support. Funding is the responsibility of the state,

ownership of the process is by the state;

• We should always demonstrate by precept and example, what we expect of our children;

• Government needs to be ready to continue implementation of programmes when the

funding from Development Agencies is exhausted. There is a lack political will to sustain the

programmes from local financial resources;

• Agriculture is key. The Region spends over $400, 000, 000 in food imports. Food production

is under threat due to the high incidence of praedial larceny;

• Very often, parents access employment opportunities outside of communities, leaving

young children poorly supervised or otherwise unattended. There is urgent need to

reintroduce agriculture in communities, in a manner that is efficient and sustainable;

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12. List of Participants