GCSI's mission is to strengthen the safeguarding system in the Greater Caribbean Region (GCR) by establishing partnerships with countries in the GCR to prevent, detect, and control existing and emerging plant pest threats. GCSI provides APHIS, PPQ and its partners in the GCR, the opportunity to establish a perimeter defense against the introduction of high risk plant pests into the GCR through collaborative efforts to harmonize quarantines, exclusion strategies and other safeguarding initiatives before they reach the borders of our nations. GCSI seeks to support the implementation of plant health safeguarding activities in the GCR. GCSI is committed to ensuring that all GCSI initiatives are successful and sustainable over the long term. The expansion of GCSI into a National Program demonstrates APHIS' commitment to food security and sustainability of plant health in the Region. The GCSI program is supported by a Florida GCSI Program Manager (based in the greater Miami) that provides coordination and communication among collaborators within Florida, PPQ's Eastern Region, and PPQ Headquarters to strengthen pest exclusion and agricultural quarantine inspection activities in Florida and the Eastern Region of the USA.