About | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline
LOG IN
LOG IN

1 1 (November 19, 2020)

handle is hein.crs/govdcrm0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Caribbean Basin Security Initiat The United States developed the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI), a regional U.S. foreign assistance program, in 2009 through a process of dialogue with Caribbean countries. The initiative seeks to reduce illicit trafficking in the region, advance public safety and s ecurity, and promote socialjustice. Because of their geographic location, many Caribbeannations are vulnerable to being used as transit countries for illicit drugs fromSouth America destined for the U.S. and European markets. Strengthened U.S. counternarcotics cooperation with Mexico and Central America-through the Merida Initiative and the Central America Regional Security Initiative (CARSI)-led U.S. policymakers to anticipate a potential increase in narcotics trafficking through the Caribbean. Many Caribbean countries have also suffered high rates of violent crime, including murder, often associated with drug trafficking activities. President Ob ama announced the initiative at the fifth Summit of the Americas in 2009. U.S. and Caribbean representatives held follow-upmeetings and, in 2010, an inaugural Caribbean-U.S. Security Cooperation Dialogue, which approved a declaration of principles, a framework for engagement, and a broad action plan. Seven additional Caribbean-U.S. security cooperation dialogues have been held, with the most recent in May2019. In June 2017, the State Departmentreleased a U.S. strategy for engagement in the Caribbean (required by P.L. 114-291, the United States-Caribbean Strategic Engagement Act of 2016). Among the priorities for engagement is security, with the objectives of strengthening mutualnational security and advancing citizens' s afety through programs to dismantle criminal and terrorist organizations, curb the trafficking ofillicit goods andpeople, strengthen therule of law, and counter vulnerability to terrorist threats-all efforts central to the CBSJ. Congres s has supported funding for the CBSJ. From FY2010 through FY2020, Congress appropriated almost $677 million for the CBSI benefiting 13 Caribbean countries-Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Dominica, the Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago (seeTable 1 and Figure 1). Since FY2018, Congress has not approvedTrump Administration budget requests that would have cut CBSI funding significantly. For FY2020, the Administration requested $40.2million for the CBSI, but Congress appropriated not less than $60million for FY2020 in the Further Cons olidated Appropriations Act, 2020 (P.L. 116- 94, H.R. 1865, Explanatory Statement, Division G). For FY2021, the Adminis trationrequested $32million for the Updated November 19, 2020 ive CBSI, a cut of almost 47% from that appropriated in FY2020. The House version of the FY2021 Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs (SFOPS) appropriations bill, Division A of H.R 7608 (H.Rept. 116- 444), approved July 24, 2020, would provide a minimum of $74.8 million, including $10million to strengthenresilience to emergencies and disasters. The Senate Appropriations Committee's draft SFOPS bill and explanatory statement would provide $60 million for the CBSI, as well as $17.5 million, apart from the CBSI, to enhance Caribbean island dis aster recovery and resistance. In other legislative action, the House approved H.R.7703, the Caribbean Bas in Security Initiative Authorization Act, on November 18, 2020. The bill would authorize $74.8 million for the CBSI for each year fromFY2021 through FY2025, including monitoring and reporting requirements for the CBSI, and would require the State Department to prioritize efforts to increase disaster response and resilience by carrying out such programs in beneficiary countries. Coordinatedby the State Department's BureauofWestern Hemisphere affairs and implemented largely by the State Department, USAID, and the Department of Defense, the CBSI has targeted U.S. assistance in five areas: Maritime and Aerial Security Cooperation, including assistance to strengthen Caribbean maritime and aerial operations capability, improve radar coverage, and sustain those capabilities; Law Enforcement Capacity Building, including assistance to improve law enforcement though police profes sionalization, anti-corruption training, and community-based policing; Border/Port Security and Firearms hterdiction, including support to improve capacity to intercept smuggled narcotics, weapons, bulkcash, and other contraband at airports and seaports; Justice Sector Reform, including support to increase theefficacy ofprosecutors andcriminal courts and reform and s trengthen juvenile jus tice systems; and Crime Prevention and At-Risk Youth, including assistance to populations vulnerable to being victims of crime or at risk of recruitment into criminal organizations. Althoughthe State Department has not published CBSI funding s tatis tics by country, a February 2019 U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) report shows that fromFY2010 through FY2018, the Dominican Republic received almos t 23% ofCBSI funding, Jamaica just over 19%, 24% went to seven Eas tern Caribbean countries, and 21% was for region-wide activities. \ Q

What Is HeinOnline?

HeinOnline is a subscription-based resource containing thousands of academic and legal journals from inception; complete coverage of government documents such as U.S. Statutes at Large, U.S. Code, Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, U.S. Reports, and much more. Documents are image-based, fully searchable PDFs with the authority of print combined with the accessibility of a user-friendly and powerful database. For more information, request a quote or trial for your organization below.



Short-term subscription options include 24 hours, 48 hours, or 1 week to HeinOnline.

Purchase Access

Already a HeinOnline Subscriber?

Log In

profiles profiles most