This week, SEACOP was in GuyanaĀ š¬š¾ to take part in the preparations for the upcoming Tradewinds 2023 exercise.
More than 1,000 troops from 17 countries are expected to partake in the exercise, which will seek to further prepare Guyana to counter regional and security threats. Organisations such asĀ CARICOM IMPACS, theĀ Regional Security System, the Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS) andĀ Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA)Ā will also be involved.
On the agenda of this year’s event are maritime and ground security, fight against transnational organised crime, disaster response, humanitarian assistance, and regional training capacity.
First launched in 1984, Tradewinds was designed to expand the Caribbean regionās capability to mitigate, plan for, and respond to crises; increase regional training capacity and interoperability; develop new and refine existing Standard Operating Procedures; enhance the ability to defend Exclusive Economic Zones; increase readiness; promote human rights and adherence to shared international norms and values; fully integrate women into the force; and increase maritime domain awareness to deter IUU fishing activities.
š”It is the third time Guyana is hosting Tradewinds. The last time was two years ago, in 2021.