Major St Clair Leacock, St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Security, has officially taken over the chairmanship of the Regional Security System (RSS) Council of Ministers.
The transition occurred during the annual security chiefs and council of ministers meetings held in St. Lucia from March 23rd to 27th, 2026. Leacock takes the helm from St. Lucia’s Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre for a one-year rotational term.
The RSS, an alliance formed to provide a collective response to regional security threats, aims to navigate a complex global environment characterized by rising tensions and convergence of traditional and non-traditional threats.
A major focus of the meetings was tackling the deeply rooted prevalence of gangs and illegal firearms affecting member states.
To counter these transnational threats, officials proposed a joint plan of action that includes harmonizing firearms legislation and establishing cross-border arrest warrants. This would ensure that criminals cannot evade justice simply by fleeing to a neighboring member state.
Furthermore, security chiefs discussed contingency plans to protect citizen and energy security from the ripple effects of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, specifically concerning potential spikes in fuel prices and supply chain disruptions.
The meetings also addressed preparations for the upcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Antigua and Barbuda, as well as regional disaster response mechanisms ahead of the hurricane season.