BACKGROUND INFORMATION

CARICOM IMPACS was instrumental in assisting Member States to enact revised Advance Passenger Information (API) and Passenger Name Record (PNR) legislation in 2015. The Legislation at the time was drafted within the Office of the General Counsel, CARICOM Secretariat based on recommended policy from CARICOM IMPACS and CARICOM Member States. Since this draft model legislation was approved by the CARICOM Legal Affairs Committee (LAC), twelve (12) Member States have enacted the legislation. Those which have not enacted the legislation to date are Guyana, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago.

CARICOM IMPACS recognizes that since the draft model legislation was completed in 2015, there have been several recommendations from the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), as well as other international best practices requirements.

Current situation

Currently most Member States and Associate Members including the CARICOM IMPACS Joint Regional Communication Centre (JRCC) have recognised the importance of the collection of API and PNR data. This data can not only assist in targeting but is critical to investigations and by extension, convictions.

Most Member States are technically ready to receive PNR through their Border Management Systems (BMS) but are not fully ready legislatively or structurally (Human Resource) to meet international requirements. Trinidad and Tobago is one such Member State.

Overall objective

To provide Trinidad and Tobago with updated API/PNR legislation as well as with a guidance document outlining the requirements to implement the PNR Requirement in countryand at the Joint Regional Communications Centre (JRCC).It is expected that this can be used as a model for other Member States.

Purpose

The purposes of this contract are as follows:

1. Work directly with the authorities in Trinidad and Tobago to update their legislation
2. To review the existing API/ PNR legislation and to identify gaps
3. To develop an accompanying guidance document for Trinidad and Tobago s which guides on the legislative and structural requirements for implementation of PNR inclusive of Data privacy requirements;