PRESS RELEASE
Castries, St. Lucia-Twenty officials involved in the management and administration of justice and citizen security in Saint Lucia participated in a 2-day workshop aimed at strengthening Enhance Equal Access to Justice for All in Saint Lucia.
The workshop was organized and facilitated by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), with coordination support from the United Nations Resident Coordinator Office for Barbados & the Eastern Caribbean’s (UN RCO) satellite office in Saint Lucia. This initiative is one of several interventions encapsulated in a consolidated offer by the United Nations to the Government, following a development partners meeting organized by the United Nations Barbados and Eastern Caribbean Multi-Country Office in Saint Lucia in October 2023.
In alignment with the UNODC Strategy 2021-2025, the UNODC Strategic Vision for Latin America and the Caribbean 2022-2025, the Caribbean Multi-Country Sustainable Development Framework 2022- 2026, and the General Assembly resolution A/RES/78/227 on “Equal access to justice for all’’, UNODC aims to conduct a comprehensive assessment and programming initiative focused on human rights-based and gender-responsive policing in Saint Lucia. This intervention is designed to contribute to meeting SDG 16.3, which promotes the rule of law at national and international levels and ensures equal access to justice for all.
Anna Giudice, Team Lead of UNODC’s Access to Justice Team, under the Vienna-based Crime Prevention and Access to Justice Section, advised that a set of recommendations will be developed based on the workshop discussions, to inform further UNODC assistance to Saint Lucia in the area of police reform. She noted that: “the police are under pressure to perform with demands for safety security and justice. UNODC’s role is to support the police in executing their often-challenging duties.”
The workshop furnished key insights to enhance the implementation of human rights-based and gender-sensitive police reform in Saint Lucia. It aims to ensure police efficiency, effectiveness, fairness, inclusivity, and humane treatment of marginalized and excluded communities—such as victims of violence, youth, migrants, persons with disabilities, and the poor—thus building and sustaining community trust, accountability, integrity, and transparency, ultimately promoting safety and justice for all, while contributing to a safe society and prevention and responses to crime.
Acting Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of National Security, Mrs. Sarah Dupre-Cotter welcomed this initiative, noting that: We are immensely grateful for the assistance and efforts of the UNODC in organizing this gathering and trust that all participants will immerse themselves in the presented material and utilize their expertise and experience so that, at the end of the session, viable recommendations can be presented to the UNODC, to facilitate their efforts in obtaining the necessary assistance to assist our continued efforts at police reform and equitable access to justice in Saint Lucia”.
In relating her perspectives on the workshop, Woman Police Constable (WPC), Rubinia Joseph expressed her preference for its interactive approach, which highlighted challenges, needs, and actionable solutions in key areas including human rights-based policing; gender-responsive policing; victim-centered policing, and evidence-based policing. She further noted, “The intervention by UNODC is timely, well-placed, and tailored to meet the needs of the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (RSLPF) during this transformative period geared towards police reform and modernization.” WPC Joseph is hopeful that the workshop discussions will positively contribute to enhancing citizen security, justice, and the rule of law in Saint Lucia.
The workshop was held on the 5th floor of the Finance Administrative Center, Pointe Seraphine, Castries from August 14-15, 2024. Participants included representatives from the Ministry of Nations Security, particularly the RSLPF; the Ministry of Home Affairs (Fire Department, Parole and the Bordelais Corrections Facility); the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court and the Attorney General’s Chambers. Presentations were delivered by the UNODC and the Regional Security System (RSS).