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Basseterre, St. Kitts, August 11, 2016 (RSCNPF): The Regional Security System (RSS) is holding its quarterly Security Chiefs Meeting on Thursday and Friday (August 11 & 12) at the Regional Security System Headquarters in Barbados.

The Joint Coordinating and Planning Committee commonly referred to as the Security Chiefs comprises of the Executive Director of the RSS, the seven (7) Commissioners of Police and the three (3) Chief of Defence Staff within the Member States.

The Permanent Secretaries with responsibility for National Security and Defence within the Member States were specifically invited to attend this meeting to get an appreciation for the functioning and operations of the RSS. To this end, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of National Security Mr. Osmond Petty accompanied Commissioner of Police Mr. Ian M. Queeley and Lt. Colonel Patrick Wallace to this meeting.

Topics and issues discussed at the meeting included, but were not limited to: The RSS and its Role, The Current Security Environment, RSS Operations and Strategy Capacity Building (Training and Exercises) within the Member States and The Role of Permanent Secretaries in National Security and Regional Security Management. Country Reports by each country, Budgetary and Financial Matters, The Vision for a future RSS and number of presentations from external stakeholders including a University of the West Indies (UWI) Presentation on Succession Planning were also presented.

“The gathering of the Security Chiefs is one of the essential and critical meetings mandated by the Treaty and conducted by the RSS, in order to meet its objectives,” said Commissioner of Police Mr. Ian M. Queeley. He added, “this meeting provides an opportunity for us to collectively share information on fighting crime in our respective member countries, share best practices, and develop collaborative strategies to combat crime and criminal activity across the common OECS and Eastern Caribbean space.”

Commissioner Queeley continued, “It is when we sit in these meetings we get an appreciation for how small our region really is, and that fact that we are all joined by a common sea.” He went on to say, “the meetings also foster a greater sense and appreciation for the need to continue networking as Law Enforcement agencies,….many of our challenges are the same.”

Prime Minister Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris in his capacity as the Minister of National Security in St. Kitts and Nevis currently serves as the Chairman of the Council of Ministers for Regional Security System (RSS). The Council of Ministers is the supreme policy making body of the System. It is comprised of Ministers responsible for National Security or Defence in their respective countries. His tenure ends in April, 2017.