BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Monday announced a “historic” commitment of an estimated US$2.5 billion in loans for the next three years to strengthen citizen security in Latin America and the Caribbean.
IDB Goup president, Ilan Goldfajn, (File Photo)It said the project would focus on actions to promote community protection, strengthen institutions, and curb illicit financing.
The initiative was announced at the Regional Security and Justice Summit, organised by the IDB and Argentina’s Ministry of National Security and which brought together security and justice authorities from across the region, international strategic partners, civil society representatives, and experts in a space for regional dialogue and cooperation.
This is the second regional meeting since last year’s launch of the Alliance for Security, Justice and Development in Ecuador.
IDB Group President, Ilan Goldfajn, announced the new funding commitment as well as the launch of the Rapid Response Task Force against Violence and Organized Crime, a flexible technical assistance mechanism that will allow Alliance member countries to receive immediate support for security crises.
This initiative seeks to complement medium- and long-term efforts with timely and coordinated responses.
“With the launch of the Task Force and the historic commitment of US$2.5 billion over the next three years, the Alliance is moving toward a new stage: a faster and more effective response to security crises and large-scale investment in the reforms our region needs for sustainable development,” said Goldfajn.
The IDB said that the new Task Force is a permanent mechanism that can be activated when countries face sudden crises – whether an increase in violence, a surge in human trafficking, or institutional vulnerabilities – to provide advisory teams and short-term action plans to help governments coordinate police, prosecutors, prison systems, and other institutions when they need it most.
In addition, the IDB is streamlining the preparation and approval processes for technical cooperation projects to support countries more quickly. The new processes will allow technical cooperation for security emergencies to be prepared and approved within 15 days.
During the summit, Argentina assumed the pro tempore presidency of the Alliance, which said it has made “concrete progress” in its three pillars, namely protecting vulnerable populations, strengthening institutions, and disrupting illicit financial flows.
In its first year, the Alliance helped launch guidelines for combating human trafficking, supported the creation of an app for the digital exchange of criminal records, and developed operational tools to address environmental and financial crimes.
Additionally, the IDB has approved US$550 million in loans for Ecuador since the Alliance’s inception to strengthen crime prevention and regulate illegal mining.
The IDB’s Citizen Security Division, the first at a multilateral development bank, leads these efforts with a comprehensive approach that combines technical assistance, financing, innovation, and regional cooperation.
“With the launch of the Task Force and the significant increase in resources, the Alliance enters a new phase: capable of responding to immediate crises and mobilizing large-scale financing for structural reforms, the IDB said, reaffirming “its commitment to working alongside countries in the region to build safer and more just communities and create the conditions for sustainable development”.
