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Parliamentarians from across the Americas and the Caribbean strengthen regional cooperation to tackle organized crime and violence

October 23, 2026 | Activity

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The expansion of organized crime, the diversification of illicit economies, and emerging forms of violence have placed public security at the forefront of political priorities across the Americas and the Caribbean. Their consequences extend well beyond criminal activity, affecting the daily lives of millions of people and raising fundamental questions about how States can ensure public safety, protect rights, and strengthen trust in democratic institutions.

Against this backdrop, parliamentary delegations from across the Americas and the Caribbean gathered at the National Congress of Chile in Valparaíso from October 21 to 23 for the Second Gathering of the ParlAmericas Parliamentary Network on Security, under the theme “Public Security in the Americas and the Caribbean: Parliamentary Responses to Organized Crime and Violence”. Organized by ParlAmericas with the support of the National Congress of Chile, the Gathering provided a forum for political dialogue on the changing nature of crime across the hemisphere and the role of parliaments in shaping effective and democratic responses.

The Gathering brought together parliamentarians from the Americas and the Caribbean, alongside high-level representatives of the inter-American system, multilateral organizations, European institutions, and regional and global police cooperation organizations, as well as subject-matter experts, academics, civil society representatives, and young leaders. This diversity of perspectives allowed participants to examine public security challenges from different political, institutional, and technical standpoints, enriching discussions on the responses needed to address increasingly complex and transnational forms of crime.

The official opening featured remarks by Chilean Senator Iván Flores García, President of ParlAmericas, and the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Member of Parliament of Canada and President of the Parliamentary Network on Security. Representing Chilean authorities were Minister of Public Security Martín Arrau; Senator Iván Moreira Barros, Vice-President of the Senate; and Member of the Chamber of Deputies Felipe Camaño Cárdenas, First Vice-President of the Chamber of Deputies.

A high-level dialogue featuring Andrea Pochak, Commissioner of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), and Olivier Inizan, Deputy Regional Representative for the Andean Region and Southern Cone of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), examined the evolving nature of organized crime and violence in the Americas and the Caribbean and its implications for public security policies and human rights.

Moderated by the Honourable Alvina Bertram Reynolds (Saint Lucia), President of the Senate and Vice-President of ParlAmericas, the discussion provided an opportunity to reflect on the complexity of the region’s security challenges and the need for human rights-based responses that address both the manifestations of organized crime and the conditions that enable its expansion.

Building on this perspective, the deliberations explored the various dimensions of public security policy. Through a series of thematic sessions, participants examined some of the region’s most pressing security challenges, the factors contributing to their persistence, and the institutional capacities needed to address them.

Discussions examined the economic structures that sustain organized crime, including the connections between illicit economies and legitimate economic activity. Participants also considered the effects of insecurity on daily life, its varying impacts on individuals and communities, and the importance of taking these realities into account when designing public security policies.

Another area of focus was strengthening justice systems, with particular attention to modernization, access to justice, and institutional responses to victims of violence. Participants also explored the role of intelligence systems in preventing and responding to organized crime, parliamentary oversight mechanisms, and the opportunities and risks associated with the use of artificial intelligence and other technologies in public security policies.

Transregional cooperation was another prominent dimension of the Gathering, bringing perspectives and experiences from beyond the hemisphere into discussions on shared public security challenges. Contributions from representatives of European institutions, cooperation programmes, and international experts helped identify opportunities to strengthen exchanges and cooperation between the Americas and the Caribbean, and Europe in addressing increasingly complex forms of transnational crime.

Taken together, these discussions provided a comprehensive examination of public security, underscoring the need to bring together capacities for prevention, investigation, justice, and the protection of rights, supported by robust mechanisms for accountability and democratic oversight.

As part of the Gathering’s programme, ParlAmericas and International IDEA co-organized the event “Democratic Security in Latin America and the Caribbean: Legislative Responses to Organized Crime and Cybercrime,” which featured a keynote presentation by Josep Borrell, President of the Barcelona Centre for International Affairs (CIDOB), former High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, and former President of the European Parliament.

In his presentation, Borrell examined shifts in the international order, marked by growing geopolitical competition and instability, and outlined a multidimensional understanding of security encompassing economic, energy, climate, and human dimensions. His reflections offered a broader perspective on contemporary security challenges and opportunities for cooperation across regions.

The Gathering concluded with the adoption of a declaration in which parliamentary delegations committed to advancing more comprehensive responses to organized crime and violence, strengthening institutions responsible for public security and justice, and improving coordination among countries. The declaration also emphasizes the responsibility of parliaments to support these efforts through appropriate legislative frameworks, adequate resources, and effective oversight of public security policies and their outcomes. These commitments underscore the importance of an approach to public security that places the safety and well-being of individuals and communities at the centre of efforts to address crime and violence and build more peaceful societies.

The Gathering also provided an opportunity to sign two cooperation agreements aimed at expanding ParlAmericas’ institutional partnerships and strengthening support for parliamentary work across the region. The first, with the Observatory of Democracy in Latin America (KODLA) at King’s College London, will promote collaboration in research, technical assistance, and the exchange of specialized knowledge on security. The second, with the Library of the National Congress of Chile, establishes a framework for cooperation in parliamentary research and advisory services, information exchange, institutional innovation, and capacity-building for parliamentary technical staff.

Amid growing international fragmentation and the increasingly transnational nature of organized crime, the Gathering also underscored the importance of hemispheric cooperation. Through its Parliamentary Network on Security, ParlAmericas aims to sustain political dialogue among the region’s parliaments, foster new opportunities for parliamentary action, and strengthen regional cooperation to help shape public policies that respond to evolving security challenges and their impact on individuals and communities.

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This gathering was made possible thanks to the generous support of the Government of Canada through Global Affairs Canada.