Executive Summary

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Click here to download the complete briefing paper in Spanish.

Current challenges to peace and security in Central America and Caribbean, such as transnational organized crime, border disputes, and migration flows, are trans-boundary in nature and call for regional solutions. Existing security structures in both regions need to be reformed in order to meet these challenges. A reform process must aim to strengthen regional structures, create more effective legal mechanisms, and develop new tools and instruments that formalize current, ad hoc approaches to conflict prevention. Regional approaches to common security threats are not incompatible with state ownership of national security, understandably a major concern for most governments. A regional approach can, in fact, help strengthen key aspects necessary for national and regional security and at the same time help build trust between states.

Any reform process, however, must deal with the lack of political will of states in both regions to financially support regional organizations and to strengthen their mandates. This lack of political will has created a state-centric security approach in both Central America and the Caribbean, and has restricted the development of multilateral cooperation. It has lead to the lack of recognition of regional organizations as useful actors addressing challenges to peace and security.

As both Central America and the Caribbean fall within the United States’ traditional sphere of influence, national security priorities in the region are significantly influenced by U.S. strategic priorities. Since September 11, 2001, U.S. priorities have been focused on strengthening states’ counterterrorism capacity. This priority focus does not fully reflect the needs in either region, but can and should be adapted to account for the current security challenges. The U.S. should adapt its security strategies in the region to also take account of the existing trans-boundary challenges and focus on strengthening regional solutions to common security challenges.

To strengthen the capacity to deal with challenges to peace and security in Central America and the Caribbean:

• Governments in both regions must scale up their efforts towards regional solutions to common regional threats;
• Regional organizations need to enhance collaboration between states and, to that end, make better use of lessons learned and best practices;
• States, regional organizations, regional parliaments, civil society, and the international donor community need to cooperate more to build capacities to deliver meaningful solutions to current security challenges;
• The United States should adapt its security priorities in the region to include current regional challenges to peace and stability and commit resources and political support to build regional approaches.

This brief reflects a rich debate between representatives from defense, diplomacy, development, and civil society sectors in Central America and the Caribbean at a meeting in Panama on November 16 and 17, 2009. The meeting focused on identifying action-oriented recommendations that strengthen regional capacities for preventive action and was convened by the EastWest Institute in partnership with the United Nations Development Program Regional Center LAC.

Click here to download the complete briefing paper.

Click here to download the complete briefing paper in Spanish.