From March 27 to 28, 2019, the President of the Council of Delegates of the Inter-American Defense Board (IDB), MGen Luis Bucio, attended the Caribbean Basin Maritime Security and Surveillance Summit (CABSEC19) which was combined with the South American Security Summit (SAMSEC) in Bridgetown, Barbados. This conference was jointly organized by the Chief of Defense Staff (CDS) of the Barbados Defense Force (BDF), Colonel Glyne Grannum, and Defense IQ, a news source firm focusing on defense issues. global and military.
CABSEC set out to build lasting partnerships to improve regional security, stability and prosperity, and explore how the industry can help governments deliver security and risk reduction services. The Honorable Dale Marshall, Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs of Barbados, presented opening remarks insisting on the need to preserve the “Blue Economy”, to increase surveillance and optimize mutual cooperation to build capacity with partners and regional security organizations . The CDS, Colonel Grannum, presented the mission statement, interests and responsibilities of the BDF and highlighted the importance of establishing coordination mechanisms with regional security and humanitarian assistance organizations such as the Regional Security System (RSS), the Implementation for Crime and Security (CARICOM IMPACS) and the Caribbean Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA). Additionally, Generals and Admirals from Canada, France, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and the US explained in detail their operations and security cooperation activities in the Caribbean during a roundtable discussion.
MGen Bucio had the opportunity to present the mandates of the IADB, but more specifically the hemispheric coordination mechanisms in the event of a natural disaster. He suggested that the IADB could be the natural conduit for the passage of information between the affected countries and the partner nations that act in the first response or that contribute to the management of the consequences during inevitable and recurring natural disasters.
The conference provided a unique liaison forum for military/security forces, governments, diplomats, industries and non-governmental organisations. Additionally, the summit facilitated exchanges on lessons learned and best practices to better equip agencies to mitigate regional security threats and optimize responses to natural disasters in the Caribbean region.
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