Caribbean States Commit to Advancing Joint Investigation Teams Framework

Caribbean states have committed to advancing the development of a regional
framework for Joint Investigation Teams (JITs) following a two-day legal forum hosted in
Barbados.

During the forum, which was hosted by the Office of the Attorney General of Barbados
and sponsored by the Inter-American Development Bank and the Regional Security
System (RSS), mechanisms for strengthening cross-border financial investigations and
asset recovery were examined.

Director of Strategic Services and International Affairs at the RSS, Rhea Reid-Bowen,
said one of the major outcomes of the forum was an agreement from participating
countries to move the initiative forward.

“At the conclusion of the Legal Forum, there was a firm commitment from countries to
advance the concept of Joint Investigation Teams in the Caribbean. It was agreed that
the Model Framework agreement would be completed and forwarded to Attorneys
General for review. Recommendations suggested that Joint Investigation Teams (JITs)
would significantly benefit the Caribbean region and should be adapted from the
Eurojust model to suit regional legal systems and operational realities. Furthermore, it
was recommended that a pilot JIT involving at least two jurisdictions be established in
the coming months.” Mrs. Reid-Bowen stated.

Addressing some of the key challenges discussed during the forum, she explained that
while differences in legislative frameworks across Caribbean jurisdictions could affect
cross-border investigations and asset recovery efforts, they were surmountable.
“The operationalisation of a JITs mechanism requires participating countries to agree on
criteria for evidence admissibility, disclosure of information and the terms and conditions
under which foreign LEAs participating in the JIT, will be deployed in the respective
territories throughout the Caribbean. The model framework agreement must therefore
incorporate standards that are flexible or broad enough to guide competent authorities
in crafting a suitable agreement governing their specific JITs that would be established
in the future,” Mrs. Reid-Bowen explained.

Emphasising that a regional JIT framework would significantly improve the speed and
coordination of criminal investigations across the Caribbean, she noted that the forum
agreed that the Concept Paper on JITs should be presented to national Cabinets for
endorsement. It was further recommended that the proposed framework be submitted
to other regional organs, such as the CARICOM Council for National Security and Law
Enforcement (CONSLE), to secure wider regional political support.

“A regional JIT framework would improve cooperation by allowing competent authorities
to gather and exchange evidence directly without relying on traditional mutual legal
assistance processes. It would also enhance intelligence sharing, operational
coordination, and collaboration among prosecutors, judges, and law enforcement
agencies across jurisdictions. Additionally, the framework would provide standardised
procedures and agreements tailored to Caribbean legal systems, thereby reducing
conflicts between parallel investigations, the RSS official opined.

Looking ahead, Mrs. Reid-Bowen said the RSS would also explore potential
opportunities for collaboration with Eurojust and EL PACTO to support cross border
investigations involving European and Latin American jurisdictions.

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