Development and Security on the Third Border: Counter Terrorism and Counter Proliferation in the Caribbean and Latin America

“There is no development without security. There is no security without development.” Kofi Anan
In the international arena, development and security have not been two of the closest friends. For many, security equals militarization, weapons, and border protection. On the other hand, development is almost always related to poverty reduction, agriculture, and microfinance. Yesterday at the Henry L. Stimson Center, the Cooperative Non-Proliferation Program led by Elizabeth “Libby” Turben blended these
issues in a revolutionary model explained in detailed by the following three panelist speakers on the event.
Johanna Mendelson Forman, representing the Americas Program of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, was the first speaker who explained a little about the “Third Border” situation, its threats to the US, and the need for development in the Caribbean region. Drug and human trafficking should be viewed as a type of terrorism for both the US and Latin America to embrace counterterrorism measures in the region. At the same time, we have seen the recent events of climate change and its destructive effects on Cuba, the rise in food prices and its destabilizing effects on Haiti erupting in the violent riots, and the decreasing of remittances as a result of the US economic crisis; all of these development needs as well must be addressed.
Allistair Miller, Director of the Center on Global Counterterrorism Cooperation, presented the recently launched report on “Implementing the UN Counter-Terrorism Strategy in the Latin America Caribbean Region” explained the troubles for many developing countries to implement the 2004 UN Security Council Resolution 1540, which addresses the growing threat of terrorism and WMDs. These countries, where development is a priority, have problems meeting the standards of the resolution because of lack of resources, which then drives them to divert resources from education and health to security to meet the standards. This turn makes efforts for security more challenging, all spiraling into a vicious ineffective cycle of no development and no security.
Finally, Brian Finlay, from the Cooperative Nonproliferation Program compared the example of success in Dubai to some countries in the Caribbean. Finlay’s points tied the success of Dubai to the increase in foreign and national investment in the ports and transit areas in the country and how has that also increased the effectiveness of the UN mandate and other security efforts.

If we think about Anan’s words we realize that these issues are very interconnected, in fact, they depend on each other to survive and to be sustainable.

Sponsor: Society for International Development
Date: September 17, 2008
Time: 12:00pm – 1:30pm
Representative Attending: Cristina Lopez