harmonisation of security activities focused towards advancing sustainable regional development. These security mechanisms have created unprecedented common action frameworks which have brought greater focus, functional corporation and increasing integration of the Community’s crime and security agenda. 13. The Community will now increase its efforts and take all necessary steps to ensure their technical and financial sustainability. Success will deepen the integration process and help the Region to become prosperous and sustainable, with justice, democracy, freedom and security for all. 14. The CCSS aims to combine policy and implementation in a more strategic and systematic way to assist the Community to prepare for an increasingly uncertain future, to shape current policies to best effect and to prevent duplication of efforts and policy conflicts. METHODOLOGY 15. In line with its Mandate from CONSLE to “develop a Regional Crime and Security Strategy”, IMPACS appointed a CARICOM Crime and Security Strategy Steering Committee. The primary focus of the Steering Committee was the “provision of strategic oversight, guidance and support for the development and implementation of the Strategy activities”. The CCSS Steering Committee convened its first meeting on 9 June 2011. Headed by CARICOM IMPACS, the Steering Committee included representatives of CARICOM Chairs of CARICOM Standing Committees - Commissioners of Police, Military Chiefs, Chief Immigration Officers, Comptrollers of Customs and Heads of Intelligence and Financial Intelligence Units, the Regional Security System together with key regional crime and security experts. 16. The Steering Committee agreed that the process of developing the Strategy should commence with the Regional Crime and Security Strategy Coordinator producing a draft text of a future “CARICOM Crime and Security Strategy” which should give direction and purpose to the consultation process and deliberations. 17. The CCSS was drafted based on a review of existing reports commissioned by IMPACS and other national, regional and global reports, Member States’ security strategies and policies, academic work, surveys, quantitative and qualitative research, CARICOM risk assessments, and meetings and consultations with key stakeholders. The process then entered a consultation and negotiation phase. It consisted of extensive and intensive consultations with the Standing Committees of Operational Heads, crime and security experts, practitioners and a variety of institutional actors and other interested parties across the Region 1. ROAD MAP OF THE STRATEGY 18. Chapter 1: Strategic Security Environment; outlines the global context and the nature of the environment within which the Community operates. The chapter also provides an analysis and assessment of CARICOM’s core security issues. 1 Many have contributed time and expertise, but particular thanks are due to Professor Anthony Clayton of the University of the West Indies for his assistance with the development of this Strategy. 11