Abinader demands joint action against cartels at 19-nation summit in Santo Domingo
President Abinader opened the A3C Conference in Santo Domingo with defence delegates from 19 countries. He called for turning agreements into verifiable results against transnational crime.
Hemispheric summit against cartels opens in Santo Domingo with delegates from 19 countries
President Luis Abinader called on Tuesday for intensified international cooperation against drug trafficking, narcoterrorism and transnational organised crime, according to almomento.net. He made the call during the opening session of the Conference of the Coalition of the Americas Against the Cartels (A3C), held in Santo Domingo with the presence of defence and security representatives from 19 nations.
Abinader underscored three priority areas: the exchange of intelligence information, the coordination of operations between countries and the strengthening of state capacities to confront criminal organisations operating beyond national borders.
"The response cannot remain fragmented"
"If crime organises itself internationally, the response of States cannot remain nationally fragmented," the president stated during his opening address. With that premise, he called for the articulation of regional efforts in the face of threats posed by criminal networks in the hemisphere.
The president demanded that the agreements reached at the conference be translated into concrete actions, with defined responsibilities and verifiable results. To that end, he proposed the need to establish mechanisms that would allow the systematic measurement of progress in regional cooperation.
Abinader also noted that security does not depend solely on police and military operations. Institutional strengthening, access to justice, education and the generation of economic opportunities are, according to the head of state, equally determining factors in keeping young people away from criminal networks. "Security protects development, but development also builds security," he stated.
Dominican Republic reaffirms regional commitment
In his same address, Abinader reaffirmed the Dominican Republic's commitment to hemispheric initiatives to combat organised crime and thanked the participation of the United States Southern Command, as well as that of the international delegations present.
The opening ceremony was attended by the United States ambassador to the country, Leah Francis Campos; the commander of the United States Southern Command, General Francis L. Donovan, of the Marine Corps; and the Dominican defence minister, Lieutenant General Carlos Antonio Fernández Onofre.
Defence Ministry and SOUTHCOM organise the meeting
The conference is jointly organised by the Defence Ministry of the Dominican Republic and the United States Southern Command (SOUTHCOM). The initiative seeks to integrate operational capacities and establish more effective cooperation mechanisms between the participating countries, whilst respecting national sovereignty and the legal frameworks of each State.
The meeting extends over 26 and 27 October in Santo Domingo. Its central objective is to expand the exchange of intelligence and promote joint operations against the structures of transnational organised crime operating in the region.
Source: Google News DO — Crime