Backgrounder

From the Prime Minister's Web Site (http://www.pm.gc.ca/)

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Enhancing security in Central America

August 12, 2011
San Pedro Sula, Honduras

On August 12, 2011, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced that the Government of Canada is contributing over $9.2 million to help promote the following projects in Central America, including Honduras.

Canada's contribution is funded by Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada's Anti-Crime Capacity-Building Program (ACCBP), which was launched by Prime Minister Harper in 2009. The funding will support a variety of projects that strengthen the capacity-building efforts of state agencies and regional institutions at the front-lines of combating transnational crime in Central America.

Port Security Assistance Program

This regional initiative will provide national port security assessments, follow-on training, and workshops on maritime security and crisis management exercises, with expertise contributed by Transport Canada, among others. This project is implemented by the Organization of American States' (OAS) Inter-American Committee against Terrorism (CICTE), the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission and the Inter-American Committee on Ports. All OAS Member States in Latin America and the Caribbean participate in this project. Canada's contribution totals over $4.3 million.

Regional Container Control for Latin America

This initiative, being implemented by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), will assist governments in minimizing the risk of shipping containers being used for illicit drug trafficking, transnational organized crime and other forms of black market activity at sea and dry ports. This project is also contributing to the collection, sharing and analysis of information between countries on containers and training relevant agents to identify and inspect high-risk freight containers with minimum disruption to legitimate trade and business. Participating countries include Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, and Panama. Canada's contribution totals over $1.9 million.

Capacity-Building in Travel Document Security and Identity Management in the Americas

This project, implemented by the Organization of American States' CICTE, is a technical cooperation initiative intended to assist beneficiary States throughout the Americas to achieve compliance with international document security standards, as well as other best practices regarding travel documents from the International Civil Aviation Organization. Canada's contribution totals over $1.2 million.

Global Scientific Forensics Support Programme

Under this initiative, UNODC is developing and disseminating standardized forensic training and reference materials, which will be implemented in Latin America. The program's 20 participating countries are Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, and Venezuela. Canada's contribution totals over $387,000.

Global Synthetics Monitoring: Analyses, Reporting and Trends (SMART) Programme

This initiative enhances the capacity of authorities in the Americas to generate, manage, analyze, and report synthetic drug information, as well as apply the knowledge to the design of national and regional strategic policy and programme interventions. This project is being implemented by UNODC and includes 20 participating countries: Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, and Venezuela. Canada's contribution totals over $369,000.

National Drug Control System

This project, implemented by UNODC, supports and maintains the National Drug Control System, created in 1996. Its ultimate objective is to implement a sustainable system that can be operated by UN Member States with minimal input and assistance from UNODC, as a means to implement the UN Drug Control Conventions in participating states. The participating countries are Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, and Venezuela. Canada's contribution totals over $181,000.

Strengthening the Capacity to Combat Trafficking in Persons in Latin America

This project, implemented by UNDOC, aims to ensure that the participating countries have access to a manual on combating trafficking in persons developed from global best practices in their native language. The twelve participating countries are Belize, Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela. Canada's contribution totals over $98,000.

Foreign Drug Co-operation

The goal of this initiative is to assist foreign law enforcement agencies in developing the knowledge, skills and investigative techniques which are essential to the successful investigation and prosecution of drug-related offences by providing counter-drug training and promote best practices amongst law enforcement agencies battling the challenges of organized crime in Central American and the Caribbean. Beneficiary countries include Costa Rica, Belize, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Jamaica, Mexico, and Nicaragua. This project is being implemented by the RCMP, with a Government of Canada contribution totalling over $71,800.

Marine and Port Security Drills and Exercise Workshop

This initiative is intended to enhance marine and port security for the mutual benefit of all participants. Key activities include discussions and the sharing of lessons learned between numerous international partners on topics ranging from maritime and port security to national, regional and international best practices and perspectives. ST Education & Training Private Ltd. and Transport Canada are joining forces on this initiative. Participating countries are Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru. Canada's contribution totals over $41,000.

Special Investigative Methods Project

The Special Investigative Methods Project, implemented by the Justice Education Society of British Columbia, aims to strengthen the capacity of law enforcement agencies in Central American countries through the provision of equipment and training on investigative methods — such as surveillance and forensic video analysis — which are critical in the fight against sophisticated criminal networks. Canadian funding for the Honduras portion of this project totals over $567,600.

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