STATEMENT: CARICOM Heads; Montego Bay Declaration on transnational organized crime and gangs

We, the Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) meeting in Montego Bay, Jamaica from 6-8 July 2025, on the occasion of the 49^th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM:

Remaining deeply concerned and alarmed by the surge of gun crime and violence across the Caribbean Region, driven by the proliferation of illegal firearms and activities of gangs and/or organised criminal groups, which continue to pose a serious threat to the Region, its institutions of governance, and the very fabric of our societies,

Underscoring our commitment to address the concerns of our peoples, regarding the impact of organised crime and illicit trafficking on their communities, livelihood, and security,

Cognisant of the current global security threats and the potential impact on the stability and socioeconomic progress of our societies,

Recalling the decision to collaborate on implementing measures to address crime, violence, and national security, and the implications for public health, that directly result from gang activities and the illegal importation of guns into our Region,

Renewing our commitment to strengthening the Region’s response by implementing effective measures to monitor new trends in illicit firearms trafficking, enact robust legislation to include stringent penalties for firearm and gang-related offences, and to strengthen public awareness on the issues relating to the prevention and prosecution of all forms of organised criminal activities,

Determined to create societies characterised by productivity, prosperity, peace, and security,

1. Reaffirm our commitment to continue efforts to complete a comprehensive review of the criminal justice system to, inter alia, address criminal terrorists with a focus on the proactive management of investigations, prosecutions, and sentencing, while also expanding programmes aimed at the early identification and positive redirection of young people who may be at risk of social exclusion or vulnerability to crime;

2. Agree to strengthen the regional institutional security structures, to include the CARICOM Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS), and implementation of programmes such as the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI), to effectively enhance collaboration and  sharing of information, to disrupt criminal networks, as well as, leverage shared resources to enable law enforcement and support border security efforts;

3. Reinforce national anti-gang strategies to more effectively monitor and disrupt gang movement and their linkages to cross-border firearm-related crimes within CARICOM;

4. Recognise the importance of undertaking the development or amendment of national legislation to effectively combat gun crimes, the illicit trade in arms and ammunition, trafficking offences in all forms, especially human trafficking as one of the most heinous crimes against humanity;

5. Commit to the development and implementation of comprehensive counter-narcotics strategies through enhanced cooperation, resource sharing, and sustained policy engagement.

6. Resolve to integrate into the formal economy, rule of law, and governance systems, undergoverned spaces that provide, or can provide safe havens to criminal organisations.

Issued in Montego Bay, Jamaica on Tuesday, 8 July 2025, on the occasion of the 49^th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).