Robert Hart, Assistant News Editor
CABINET HAS approved the long-awaited National Security Strategy (NSS) for tabling in Parliament early in the new year.
Information Minister Senator Burchell Whiteman also announced yesterday that an implementation team would be set up to oversee the new security policy as it is put in place by Government.
Senator Whiteman told journalists, during yesterday's post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House, that the strategy, more than a year behind original schedule, will be tabled as a Green Paper in January 2006.
THREATS OUTLINED
"The security strategy speaks to the issues which will either facilitate or prevent us from achieving the social and economic goals of the country," the Information Minister said.
He said that among the threats outlined in the document are those relating to crime, terrorism, military and para-military concerns.
The document, Senator Whiteman noted, also pointed to disasters, unsustainable loss of natural resources, and socio-economic issues.
"When the document is made public, it will become evident how the threats are addressed in the document and in the strategies that are proposed," he said.
Senator Whiteman said "key capabilities" to counter the threats to national security had been identified, examined and promoted for implementation in the strategy document.
IMPLEMENTATION TEAM
"Among other things, there is to be now a national security strategy implementation team which will operate out of the Office of the Prime Minister, thus indicating the high priority being given to this endeavour," he said.
In March 2004, National Security Minister Dr. Peter Phillips announced that the strategy would be created and revealed by September that year in the hopes of creating a single strategic document and outlook, which would pull together the different work plans of the various state agencies.
The document, however, was not brought to Cabinet until October this year.
A steering committee, headed by Rear Admiral Peter Brady, former Jamaica Defence Force Chief of Staff, and comprised of senior officials in key government agencies and departments, was established to lead consultations for the development of the strategy.
