The 13th Caribbean Conference on Comprehensive Disaster Management (CDM 13) was held from December 2-6, 2024, at the Marriott Hotel in St. Kitts and Nevis. Under the theme “Road to Resilience – Checkpoint 2024: Levelling Up for a Dynamic Future,” this event brought together regional and international experts, policymakers, and practitioners to explore innovative strategies for disaster management and resilience building in the Caribbean. The conference featured diverse program designed to address the evolving challenges and opportunities in disaster risk reduction and management.
An important outcome of the CDM 13 was the signing of a Regional Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) and UNICEF. This partnership, signed by Jean-Benoit Manhes, UNICEF Representative for the Eastern Caribbean Area, and Elizabeth Riley, Executive Director of CDEMA, will focus on strengthening child-centred disaster management in collaboration with local, national, and regional authorities
The agreement focuses on incorporating children’s needs into disaster risk management frameworks, ensuring their specific vulnerabilities are effectively addressed during emergencies. It emphasizes key sectors such as education, child and social protection systems, and Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) services, with the goal of enhancing resilience and safeguarding children’s well-being before, during, and after disasters. Both organizations have pledged to bolster national emergency response efforts, ensuring adequate support systems are in place for children, youth, women, and other vulnerable populations. Additionally, the MoU promotes the use of advanced data collection tools to improve risk analysis, enabling better decision-making and efficient resource distribution for disaster preparedness and response activities.
“This partnership reflects our shared commitment to safeguarding the most vulnerable in times of crisis, particularly children,” said Manhes representing the UNICEF Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean. “By strengthening child-centred disaster management, we are building more resilient communities and ensuring that children’s needs are met before, during, and after disasters.”
Riley said, “Under this new Memorandum of Understanding, we re-affirm our shared commitment to strengthening child-centred disaster management across the Caribbean. Together, CDEMA and UNICEF will strengthen the harmonization of programming and targeting results across CDEMA participating states.”
The Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) is a regional inter-governmental agency for disaster management in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). The Agency was established in 1991 as CDERA (Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency) with primary responsibility for the coordination of emergency response and relief efforts to Participating States that require such assistance. It transitioned to CDEMA in 2009 to fully embrace the principles and practice of Comprehensive Disaster Management (CDM).
CDEMA plays a pivotal role in disaster management within its Participating States. Its functions include mobilizing and coordinating disaster relief efforts and working to mitigate or eliminate the immediate impacts of disasters as much as possible. CDEMA provides a prompt and coordinated emergency response to affected states, ensuring timely disaster relief. It also serves as a reliable source of information for intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations by offering comprehensive and accurate data on disasters impacting the region. Additionally, CDEMA actively promotes the adoption of disaster loss reduction and mitigation policies and practices at both national and regional levels. It fosters cooperative arrangements and mechanisms aimed at cultivating a culture of disaster risk reduction. Furthermore, the agency is responsible for coordinating the establishment, improvement, and maintenance of robust disaster response capabilities across its Participating States, ensuring readiness and resilience in the face of emergencies.
All CARICOM and Non-CARICOM Member States of the Caribbean region are eligible for CDEMA membership. CDEMA presently comprises nineteen (19) Participating States (PS): Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Cayman Islands, Commonwealth of the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, Republic of Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Suriname, Republic of Trinidad & Tobago, Turks & Caicos Islands and the Virgin Islands.
