SOCIAL SECTOR INVESTMENT PROGRAMME
19
SUSTAINING GROWTH, SECURING PROSPERITY
The 2nd C@ribNET Assembly brought together
representatives of the Caribbean national
research and education networks (NRENs),
as well as leadership from the academic and
research community, CARICOM agencies,
government, along with representatives from
international partners in Africa, North America,
Latin America and Europe.
C@ribNETwas officially launched at the 2nd C@
ribNETAssembly on February 26, 2013 in Port of
Spain, Trinidad, under the theme “Collaboration,
Cooperation, Community”.
5. N
ATURAL
D
ISASTERS
AND
C
LIMATE
C
HANGE
• The Caribbean Disaster Emergency
Management Agency (CDEMA) Council of
Ministers
The
regional
Comprehensive
Disaster
Management (CDM) Strategy 2013–2023 was
among the main topics on the agenda when
the 4th Meeting of the Caribbean Disaster
Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA)
Council of Ministers convened on Friday, June
28, 2013 in Suriname
12
.
The Strategy seeks to build on and advance the
achievements realised since the CDM approach
was introduced to the region in 2001. The CDM
strategy is a roadmap towards Caribbean
resilience to the impact of all forms of hazards.
This 2013–2023 Strategy will also make an
important contribution to the post-2015 global
framework for disaster risk reduction. The
Council also deliberated on key policies and
supported procedures necessary for adoption
and implementation of the CDM Strategy at the
national and sector levels.
The Meeting also focused on the second phase
of the organisational restructuring of CDEMA.
The first phase commenced in 2009, soon after
the agency transitioned fromCDERA to CDEMA,
12
and included changes to CDEMA’s governance
structure, as well as the expansion of operations
at the Coordinating Unit. The second phase is
expected to address, among other issues, the
staffing of the Coordinating Unit to meet the
anticipated implementation requirements of the
CDM Strategy beyond 2013.
Another key area that engaged the attention of
the Council was the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk
Insurance Facility (CCRIF), and how this Facility
could be used by governments for climate
related and other extreme impact events.
• Eighth Session of the Inter-governmental
Coordination Group for the Tsunami and
Other Coastal Hazards Warning System for
the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions
The Eighth Session of the Inter-governmental
Coordination Group for the Tsunami and Other
Coastal Hazards Warning System for the
Caribbean and Adjacent Regions (ICG/CARIBE-
EWS-VIII) was held in Port of Spain, Trinidad
and Tobago, from April 29 to May 1, 2013 and
was hosted by the Ministry of National Security
through the Office of Disaster Preparedness
and Management (ODPM). The meeting was
attended by 56 participants from 18 Caribbean
countries and four observer organisations
(UNDP,
Caribbean
Disaster
Emergency
Management Agency [CDEMA], Puerto Rico
Seismic Network [PRSN] and the University
of the West Indies Seismic Research Centre
[SRC]).
• Inception Workshop for the 10th European
Development Fund (EDF) Project
The inception Workshop for the 10th European
Development Fund (EDF) Project, titled
‘Improving Caribbean Food Security in the
context of Climate Change’was held at the Hyatt
Regency Hotel in Trinidad on May 14 & 15, 2013.
Collaborating partners in this Project included
the Wageningen University, Netherlands; the
CHAPTER 2: THE CARIBBEAN SOCIAL SITUATION
