• Date: 11/29/2010 Paragraphs: 68VII. Public Security
24. Guyana has strengthened its cooperation on security matters with countries of the Hemisphere. To date, Guyana has active cooperation with Brazil, Suriname, Venezuela, Cuba, Colombia, all countries within the region and the United States with the aim to prevent and suppress all dimensions of international criinality. Guyana reaffirms its commitment to the Declaration on Security in the Americas.
• Date: 11/29/2010 Paragraphs: 69VII. Public Security
25. The Government of Guyana condemns Terrorism in all its forms and manifestation and sees it as criminal and unjustifiable in all circumstances. Guyana is a party to the following Universal anti-terrorism instruments:
• Inter-American Convention against Terrorism (2002)
• Convention on Offences and Certain other Acts committed on Board Aircrafts (1963)
• Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Civil Aviation (1971)
• Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Seizure of Aircraft (1970)
• Protocol for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts of Violence at Airports Serving International Civil Aviation (1988)
• Convention for the Suppression of unlawful acts against the Safety of Maritime Navigation (1988)
• Protocol for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Fixed Platforms located on the Continental Shelf (1988)
• Convention on the physical protection of nuclear material (1979)
• Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Crimes against Internationally Protected persons including diplomatic
agents (1973)
• International Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombings (1998)
• International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism (1999)
• International Convention against the Taking of Hostages (1979)
• Convention on the marking of Plastic Explosives for the purpose of detection (1991)
26. Further, Guyana has employed legislative and administrative measures to prevent, punish and eliminate terrorism and all criminal activities that finance and facilitate it. The Anti- Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Act 2009 and the establishment of the Financial Intelligence Unit ae such measures.
27. Guyana is currently drafting Comprehensive Anti-Terrorism legislation to give legal effect to the said Conventions and preparations are being made to ratify the other United Ntions Anti-Terrorism instruments to which Guyana has acceded.
• Date: 11/29/2010 Paragraphs: 70VII. Public Security
27. Guyana is currently drafting Comprehensive Anti-Terrorism legislation to give legal effect to the said Conventions and preparations are being made to ratify the other United Nations Anti-Terrorism instruments to which Guyana has acceded. The Government of Guyana is committed to preventing and suppressing organized crime in all its forms. This commitment can be assessed from Guyana’s efforts both at the International and National levels. At the International level, Guyana has acceded to a
number of International Conventions namely:
• United Nations Convention against Corruption (31 Oct. 2003)
• United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (15 Nov. 2000) and its three protocols:
o Protocol against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Their Parts and Components and Ammunition (31 May 2001)
o Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air (15 Nov. 2000)
o Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children (15 Nov. 2000)
• Anti-terrorism Conventions referred to in Paragraph 69 of the Declaration of Commitment of Port-of-Spain of the V Summit of the Americas.
28. At the National level Guyana has a number of legislations to suppress and combat organized crime namely:
• The Trafficking in Persons Act, 2005
• The Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Act, 2009
• The Fire Arms Act
• Date: 11/29/2010 Paragraphs: 71VII. Public Security
29. The Government of Guyana recognizes the importance of a system of inclusion (participation of governmental agencies, non-governmental organizations, international organizations and other stakeholders) when formulating and fostering public policies. Country wide consultations are held for the purpose of fostering public policies aimed at strengthening the fight against crime, violence and insecurity in Guyana.
30. In addition, at the level of the Oversight Ministry responsible for Public Security- Ministry of Home Affairs- enquiries and complaints about the activities of the Agencies under the Ministry can be made by letter, privately and directly to the Minister of Home Affairs or via his assistants. In addition, public days are also facilitated by the Ministry to address complaints and enquiries from members of the public. The Office of Professional Responsibility and the Police Complaints Authority are other agencies through which persons can lode complaints and seek redress for injustices committed by members of the Guyana Police Force.
31. Independently, the Guyana Police Force has established mechanisms to handle individuals’ enquires and complaints about the activities of the police Force through public days facilitated by the Commissioner of Police and the various Divisional Commanders.
32.To further strengthen existing mechanisms, the Government of Guyana is currently embarking on a Citizen Security Project funded by the Inter American Development Bank an the Government of Guyana. The aim of the Citizen’s Security Programme is to modernize the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Guyana Police Force. The project will ensure that the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Guyana Police Force provide a better quality of service to te public.
33. There has been close collaboration with law enforcement locally, in the Region, INTERPOL and other International Anti-Crime organizations in the exchange of intelligence for the suppression of crimes.
• Date: 11/29/2010 Paragraphs: 72VII. Public Security
34. Guyana will continue to work to strengthen its efforts to prevent and combat all aspects of the drug problem and its related crime. Guyana is a party to:
• Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961 as amended by the 1972 Protocol;
• Convention on Psychotropic Substances of 1971;
• United Nations convention against Illicit traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances of 1988.
35.To further strengthen its anti-drug efforts, Guyana has participated in the Multilateral Evaluation Mechanism (MEM) and is implementing its recommendations. Participation in UNODC and CICAD has been beneficial to Guyana’s anti-narcotic efforts.
36.Guyana is also actively involved in the Anti-Narcotic efforts of CARICOM. Bilateral anti-narcotic agreements with Brazil, Suriname, Venezuela, Colombia and recently Russia have beenestablished. Guyana’s security forces have been the recipients of several United States and United Kingdom training courses aimed at addresing the drug problem.
37.At the domestic level, Guyana has either completed or is implementing the various stages of the sixty six (66) programmes of the National Drug Strategy Master Plan (NDSMP).
• Date: 11/29/2010 Paragraphs: 74VII. Public Security
38.The Government of Guyana will continue to work with other agencies to strengthen its efforts to suppress violence in all its forms in Guyana. Through State efforts, Anger Management and Conflict Resolution are courses offered for the rehabilitation of prisoners in the Guyana Prison Service. Country wide consultations have been successfully conducted in relation to violence in schools. Youth groups, sports, culture, skills training have been promoted in our society as preventative measures against violence particularly among at-risk adolescents.
39.In addition, the religious community has been active in promoting non-violence projects. These projects have complemented law enforcement/government anti-violence strategies. Several projects/programmes which integrates spiritual values and positive community values, have been executed with the aim of preventing alcohol and drug abuse, suicide, HIV/AIDS, and domestic violence. These projects help young people cope with and avoid such problems.
40.There are other NGOs with an active violence prevention curriculum that promotes training, volunteering and empowerment and development of our youths.
• Date: 11/29/2010 Paragraphs: 75VII. Public Security
41.The Government of Guyana is convinced that the illicit manufacturing of and trafficking in firearms, ammunition, explosives and other related materials are a threat to security. Guyana acceded to the Inter American Convention against the Illicit
Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives and other Related Materials on April 07th 2008. Guyana does not manufacture firearms, ammunition explosives or other related materials, cognizant of the increase in gun related
crime/conflicts; Guyana has taken a number of measures to address this issue. In recent times, Guyana amended its Firearms Act Chapter 16:05 to place stringent penalties on offences under the Act.
• Date: 11/29/2010 Paragraphs: 76VII. Public Security
42.Guyana’s Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AMLCFT) Act 2009 demonstrates Government’s efforts to safeguard the financial system from terrorist groups. The Act outlines the employment of national measures and international cooperation to counter the financing of terrorism by th identifying (Part III- Article 28 of the AMLCFT Act 2009), tracking, freezing, and seizing and forfeiting the funds/assets (Part IV & V of the AMLCFT Act 2009) of the proceeds of criminal activity.
• Date: 11/29/2010 Paragraphs: 77VII. Public Security
43.From 2002-2008 there existed about three Criminal Gangs that operated in our society. Law enforcement consisting of the Guyana Police Force and the Guyana Defence Force have taken strident action against such gans such that today the negative impact have reduced tremendously to the extent that remnants of those gangs are questionable. The experience gained during that period has provided the skills to prevent and suppress emerging gangs.
44.Several security programmes have resulted in the prevention and suppression of criminal gangs across Guyana: The Citizen Security Programme; Community Policing Groups and the increased intelligence between the police, other law enforcement and
the community also serve to prevent the formation of criminal gangs.
45.The Modernization of the Ministry of Home Affairs under the Citizen Security Programme will add an Offenders Management Unit that will address the rehabilitation and reintegration of offenders and victims of criminal gangs. Currently, rehabilitation and
reintegration services are offered by the State and NGOs.