 Prime Minister and Minister for Justice and National Security, Honourable Philip J. Pierre, delivered remarks at the Caribbean Community, or CARICOM, Regional Symposium on Crime and Violence on April 17th in Trinidad and Tobago. Under the theme, Violence as a Public Health Issue, the Crime Challenge, the Regional Symposium seeks to promote dialogue and regional action aimed at violence reduction and crime prevention. Public health and public security share similar policy objectives, as they both aim to provide the maximum benefit for the most people. In considering the application of the public health approach to crime and violence in our region, there are a number of observations and questions to which we hope the Symposium can provide answers. At the regional level, I see priorities between the role played by CARFOR in a public health context and impacts. Therefore, I see a reformulated impact that will adapt CARFOR techniques to take the lead in the application of the regional public health approach to the prevention of crime and violence. A public health approach to public security will require huge investments in capacity building, both in terms of equipment and trading of frontline personnel. Ideally, we will need a comprehensive assessment of the trading needs for a whole of government and whole of society approach to crime prevention and control. We need a call of well-trained and resilient councillors and psychologists in our schools and communities who can handle the emotional stress of working at risk terrain and provide family therapy for young people at the risk of gang involvement and exploitation. Prime Minister Peir gave his endorsement of the regional symposium, which the CARACOM secretariat says emphasizes a holistic system approach, particularly a whole of government and whole of society approach involving and collaborating with all relevant agencies, organizations and sectors at different levels, including civil society, business, community, families and individuals. Mr Chairman, with the adoption of a public health approach to violent crime, what we will be embarking upon is a creation of a legacy of a Caribbean that is as much a safe and secure place for our children in the future as it was for us when we were children in the past. We have a responsibility to our people to provide them with the necessary resources so that they can become wealth creators and custodians of our patch money. I welcome this symposium and ask that we move swiftly to implement the recommendations which we put forward. We can't afford otherwise. I thank you. St Lucia's delegation, led by Prime Minister Peir, also included the Minister for Health and the Chief Medical Officer from the Office of the Prime Minister, Rehan Isidore.