Donor work on security and justice in the Eastern Caribbean

The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) is a grouping of twenty countries in the Caribbean region, aimed at promoting economic integration, foreign policy coordination, human and social
development, and security. The Eastern Caribbean comprises Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. These countries are also part
of the Regional Security System (RSS), a collective defence organization with responsibilities which include regional law enforcement training and narcotics interdiction. The Caribbean region has become a key conduit for illegal drugs en route from South America to North America and Europe. High unemployment is one of the factors contributing to youth joining gangs, and to high crime rates: violent crime is on the rise, as well as sexual and gender-based violence (ibid). Many countries in the region have weak criminal justice systems. Security and justice are therefore major challenges. The biggest donors working on security and justice in the Eastern Caribbean are the United States and Canada. The European Union also has a significant regional programme, while other donors such as the UN and individual EU member states are working on a smaller scale. Not surprisingly, given the small size of many of the countries in the region, programmes tend to be designed and implemented on a regional basis, covering several countries. But there are also individual country projects.
The focus of this report is on mapping donor activity in the area of security, justice and anti-corruption. It does not look at the effectiveness of donor engagement.