Guyana along with 16 other countries from the Western Hemisphere today signed a Joint Security Declaration, reaffirming their commitment to peace, sovereignty and stability in the region.

US Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth hosted the inaugural Americas Counter Cartel Conference at U.S. Southern Command headquarters in Doral, Florida today.

The event brought together regional defense and security leaders to strengthen cooperation in countering organized crime and drug cartels across the Americas.

The conference is a precursor to President Donald Trump’s Shield of the Americas Summit, set for this weekend, where President Irfaan Ali is schedule to participate.

At the conference today, Prime Minister Mark Phillips said Guyana remains open to cooperation with countries in the Western Hemisphere to combat transitional crime as it remains a problem for the region.

“The transnational activities of cartels, gangs and other criminal actors threaten regional peace and security. These networks undermine the rule of law, weaken institutions and threaten the safety and economic well-being of our citizens,” the Prime Minister says.

Prime Minister Phillips told the conference that Guyana continues to work hand in hand with the United States in areas such as capacity building, joint exercises and policy engagements. He said the two countries will continue to work closely to counter narco-trafficking and other forms of transnational crimes.

Further, the Prime Minister said for countries like Guyana that are along narco-trafficking routes, it requires strong cooperations among nations.

These threats, he said, demands information sharing, enhanced operation cooperation and strengthened defence capabilities across the hemisphere. He said the sovereignty and territorial integrity of every state must also be respected.

“As our region continues to grow economically and strategically it is also essential that we work together to protect critical infrastructure, strengthen national institutions and enhance our resilience to evolving security threats. Through deeper cooperations and partnerships we can ensure that our hemisphere remains safe, secure and a true zone of peace,” Mr. Phillps told the summit.

The operational conference brought together regional defense and security leaders from the Caribbean, Central America and South America to achieve shared security objectives.

Guyana has welcomed the joint security declaration of the conference and said it looks forward to joining the coalition to combat narco-terrorism.

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