In a move designed to deepen ties with regional security bodies across the Caribbean, the CARICOM Secretariat recently hosted a cohort of senior military leaders from the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) participating in the 20th iteration of its Senior Command and Staff Course (SCSC #20).
The official visit, held on June 4, centered on a structured knowledge-sharing workshop organized by the Secretariat’s specialized Crime and Security Programme, according to an official statement released by CARICOM. The interactive session was designed to give participating GDF officers firsthand, nuanced insight into how CARICOM operates to advance and synchronize cross-border security initiatives across the Caribbean bloc.
Leading the discussion were two senior leaders from the CARICOM Crime and Security Programme: Sherwin Stephenson, the programme manager, and Mareesha Stephens, the programme’s project officer. Over the course of the workshop, participants engaged in open dialogue and collaborative problem-solving, exploring the CARICOM framework for tackling both longstanding and newly emerging crime and security risks that impact countries across the region. Attendees also received a detailed briefing on how the regional bloc facilitates functional cooperation between its 15 member states and specialized regional institutions, with the goal of building more robust, coordinated collective responses to shared security threats.
Beyond the technical policy discussions, the GDF delegation took part in a guided tour of the CARICOM Secretariat headquarters in Georgetown, Guyana. The tour gave officers the chance to gain a clearer understanding of the organization’s governing structure, core mandates, and overarching mission to drive deeper regional integration and cross-sector cooperation across the Caribbean. As a formal gesture of gratitude for the Secretariat’s hospitality and the opportunity for engagement, Captain Stephion Gordan of the GDF delegation presented a commemorative plaque to Stephens, in a moment captured by CARICOM Communications photographers.
CARICOM officials emphasized that the visit underscores the critical value of sustained, intentional partnership between the regional bloc and national defense and security agencies across the Caribbean. It also reaffirmed the organization’s longstanding commitment to developing aligned, collective strategies that strengthen cross-border crime prevention, deepen security cooperation, and uphold lasting stability for all CARICOM member states.