 The leadership of the Latok-situated St. Lucia Forensic Science Laboratory endured and persevered to attain the highest accreditation standard for a forensic lab in the Eastern Caribbean. Seated by the government of St. Lucia during the infancy of the Forensic Science Laboratory, the intended purpose and vision has borne fruit some 13 years after it first became operational in 2010. What's next for us you ask? Well, we have added an extension with a vehicle examination bay for secure controlled forensic examinations of motor vehicles of all kinds and for a new crime scene unit as we work towards a transition of the seas of crime officers from the RSLPF to the Forensic Science Services for a more scientific approach to scene investigations. We have added a fire arms unit to respond to the crippling exponential increase in gun violence in our beloved nation. We are working with the coroner to revamp and improve death investigations in St. Lucia through the establishment of an independent office of the coroner. We will continue to add services and leverage technology for a holistic and relevant service that is responsive to ever-changing investigative needs. We remain committed to working with our respective partners and stakeholders to effectively detect crime and to uphold our mission to serve the cause of justice through an ethical unbiased quality and scientific forensic service in St. Lucia. In 2023, the United States Government and the Strategic Capacity Group committed the resources to assist the government of St. Lucia to elevate the Forensic Science Laboratory to a centre of excellence for regional forensics that will offer forensic services to the entire Karakoram region. I want to be a tribute to the staff of the St. Lucia Forensic Services Lab for the work they have been doing so far. But I want to tell them that everything we do today, all the summits, all the conferences, it must be bound in the people of the country must feel safer. The objective, the objective of what we do, anything we do in government, in the lab, in law enforcement, it must be bound to the benefit of the people and the people must feel safer. The U.S. Department of State and Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs sponsored the inaugural Caribbean Centre of Excellence Regional Leadership Summit hosted by St. Lucia and spearheaded by the leadership of the Forensic Science Lab. Our commitment to supporting the St. Lucia Forensic Lab is multifaceted. In addition to pursuing accreditation, we continue to provide crucial assistance through training and expert exchanges. The high level representation at the summit from across the region is a strong demonstration that you share our commitment to regional security cooperation. The lab has achieved international organization for standardization, International Electrotechnical Commission accreditation. Conformity with this ISO-IEC standards means the Forensic Science Lab has put in place an efficient and secure system to manage risks related to the security of its data that respects all the best practices and principles enshrined in this international standard. Office of the Prime Minister.