ALBERTO BRUNORI
PEOPLE IN the Caribbean face some of the highest levels of violence in the world. Of the 22 Latin American and Caribbean countries surveyed in 2020 by the independent think tank Insight Crime, three Caribbean countries ranked in the top six with most violence. Jamaica tops the list with the highest numbers of murders (46.5) per 100,000 inhabitants, with Trinidad and Tobago (28.2) and Belize (24.3) ranking as the fourth and sixth, respectively.
The Caribbean region is in fact particularly exposed to the presence of organised crime groups, which contributes in part to high violence levels. While Caribbean countries are not the only ones facing this threat, the characteristics of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) pose specific challenges in implementing effective responses. High crime rates impact the lives of everyone. However, women, ethnic minorities, migrants, young men, and people living in poverty are amongst those most at risk of falling victims to human rights violations stemming from insecurity.
Unfortunately, a strictly security-focused approach to the problem continues to be the norm. This includes at times an emphasis on so-called anti-gang legislation, the extended use of states of emergency or harsher punishments, including the death penalty, which remains on the books in several countries. As regularly pointed out by UN human rights treaty bodies, these measures increase the risk of human rights violations, such as extrajudicial or arbitrary killings, unnecessary or excessive use of force by security forces or unlawful or arbitrary arrests and detention.
A security-focused approach has proved to be ineffective in preventing crime, is costly for governments and increases mistrust between communities and government institutions, including in security forces. Instead of combating the symptoms, a human rights-based shift is urgently needed to tackle the underlying root causes.
In line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), it is essential to prioritise resources to social protection, health and education systems and employment to curb discrimination, social exclusion and inequality, which all remain key drivers for crime and social conflicts
Reforms towards strengthening an independent, impartial and efficient judiciary improve access to justice for all and are fundamental to counter impunity and reoccurrence. This includes strengthening capacities of the Judiciary and ensuring effective investigations, prosecution and victim-centred punishment of perpetrators in compliance with judicial guarantees of defendants.
Supporting access to justice for victims is key, such as by countering discrimination, promoting legal aid programmes and awareness-raising campaigns. As Caribbean countries continue to present some of the highest levels of sexual and gender-based violence in the Americas, there is a particular need to step up efforts to promote access to justice for victims, especially women and girls, strengthen protection mechanisms, protocols and capacities withi
