Dear Editor,
We, the Heads of government of the Caribbean Community CARICOM, meeting in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago on April 17-18, on the occasion of the Regional Symposium to address Crime and Violence as a public health issue, register our grave concern at the increase in the illegal exportation of guns from the United States of America which is a direct threat to our democracy.
We declare a War on Guns to combat the illegal trade which provides the weapons that contribute significantly to crime and violence in our region causing death, disabilities and compromising the safety of our citizens.
We call on the United States of America to join the Caribbean in our War on Guns and urgently adopt and take action to stop the illegal exportation of firearms and ammunition into the Caribbean.
We lament the disproportionate share of our national budgets that we are compelled to allocate to measures to address crime, violence and national security, as well as mental health and other health-related challenges, that directly result from the illegal exportation of guns to our region.
We underscore our commitment to utilize all human, financial and other resources to rid our region of the scourge of illicit weapons.
We reiterate that the Caribbean must be a Zone of Peace, which will allow us to achieve our goal of a secure, stable and prosperous community for all our citizens.
Heads of Government of CARICOM
