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MISPA IV of the OAS Received Reports related to Hemispheric Networks and Platforms for the Interchange of Police Information

The Fourth Meeting of Ministers Responsible for Public Security in the Americas (MISPA IV) of the Organization of American States (OAS), taking place in Medellin, Colombia, received during its third session reports related to Hemispheric Networks and Platforms for the Interchange of Police Information.

The Minister of State for National Security of Trinidad and Tobago, Embau Moheni, made a presentation on behalf of the Latin American and Caribbean Community of Police Intelligence (CLACIP). Minister Moheni said his country is willing to work with the rest of the nations of the Western Hemisphere based on "a relationship of respect and equality," and noted that besides working on crime prevention, "we must go the roots of the problem, illiteracy and ignorance."

As an example, the Minister of Trinidad and Tobago said the military training program Milat, which is carried out in his country, and is dedicated to at risk youth between 16 and 20 years old. "It's a public security program that serves 22 districts where crime has decreased by 40 percent in recent years," he added.

"We also believe that, given the international scope of crime and the billions of dollars it generates, if we don´t ensure that crime does not pay it will be difficult to cope with the drug cartels," said the Minister of State for Public Security, who also mentioned the need to adopt measures to tackle "white collar" crime, money laundering, and to devote resources to serve the most vulnerable sectors of the population.

The Director General of the National Police of Colombia (PNC), General Rodolfo Palomino, presented a report entitled "Towards a regional mechanism for the management of police knowledge that contributes to understanding, anticipating and preventing threats to public security in the Hemisphere." General Palomino stressed the importance of the axes of international police cooperation, and noted that "the exchange of information and coordinated investigation" is a priority. In this regard, he noted that collaboration between police forces is key to success against transnational organized crime.

The head of the Colombian police also mentioned the importance of having a training platform, based on technological means, and to provide those capabilities to diminish "asymmetries in institutional capacity." He also said that existing international cooperation mechanisms should be promoted, adding that there are three main areas: "First hand experience, effectiveness in combating various criminal organizations, and the trust needed to give or receive support from a government or partner institution."

The head of the PNC cited the operation of Interpol, which brings together 190 countries. "There is a functionality and protected communication service, and some databases for judicial support and training." General Palominso also highlighted as an example of a platform for exchange of police information the American Police Community (AMERIPOL) and European Law Enforcement Agency (EUROPOL).

In his speech, the National Security Commissioner of Mexico, Manuel Mondragon y Kalb, expressed support for the Hemispheric Networks and Platforms for the Interchange of Police Information. "It is the conviction of the government of my country that the challenges facing the countries of the Americas in terms of public security can only be solved with close bilateral and multilateral cooperation," he said.

Commissioner Mondragón y Kalb expressed the need to promote the joint construction of information resources and intelligence, "supported by increasingly strong and professional institutions, respectful of the fundamental rights of people, and above all, of the responsible participation of our societies." The Mexican National Security Commissioner cited the Commitment to Public Security in the Americas,taken on in the framework of the OAS ten years ago, and recalled that "stopping violence and public insecurity in a cooperative, coherent, effective and permanent manner remains an irreplaceable task for our Hemisphere."

Commissioner Mondragon y Kalb said the government of his country, led by President Enrique Peña Nieto, is following the National Development Plan 2013-2018, which proposes achieving "transcendent goals." In this regard, he said that the first is the "sine qua non" that “in order to reach the other goals we need to achieve peace in Mexico." He indicated that the Commission he leads has established a democratic and participatory exercise attended by specialists from academia, civil society, business organizations, the community and experts from international organizations that promote programs to prevent violence and social development catering to the most needy regions and sectors .

A gallery of photos of the event is available here.

For more information, please visit the OAS Website at www.oas.org.

Reference: E-456/13