Gang violence takes rising toll in lives, threatens Caribbean economies, says UNDP
Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago (PRWEB) February 08, 2012
Crime has become one of the main challenges threatening economies and livelihoods in Caribbean countries, but the right mix of policies and programmes can halt the problem, according to the Caribbean Human Development Report 2012 launched here today by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
The report, Human Development and the Shift to Better Citizen Security, says that with the exception of Barbados and Suriname, homicide rates including gang-related killings have increased substantially in the last 12 years across the Caribbean, while they have been falling or stabilizing in other parts of the world.
Although murder rates are exceedingly high by world standards, the report says that Caribbean governments can reverse the trend, calling for regional governments to beef up public institutions to tackle crime and violence including the criminal justice systemwhile boosting preventive measures.
Violence limits peoples choices, threatens their physical integrity, and disrupts their daily lives, said UNDP Administrator Helen Clark at the reports launch ceremony with Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and UNDP Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean Heraldo Mu
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