POND ISLAND, Sint Maarten – A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) paving the way for St. Maarten to host the 11th Caribbean conference on comprehensive disaster management has been inked.
The MOU for the conference to be held on St. Maarten from December 2nd to 6th was signed on Thursday, August 22nd at the Government Building during a ceremony. Signing the document was the Chairperson of the Emergency Operation Center (EOC), Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honorable Leona Romeo-Marlin and the Executive Director of the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Agency (CDEMA) Ronald Jackson.
On hand for the occasion were among other invited dignitaries, the Governor of St. Maarten, His Excellency drs. Eugene B. Holiday, a representative of the Préfet as well as members of the Emergency Operation Center including the Fire Chief and Disaster Coordinator, Clive Richardson.
The conference, which will be held under the theme “The Road to Resilience Checkpoint 1019: Safeguarding our Communities Livelihoods and Economics”, will bring together over 300 key stakeholders coming from throughout the Caribbean region under one umbrella.
It’s the first time that CDEMA is being held outside of a non Caribbean Community (CARICOM) state. During the conference, disaster risk management professionals will be discussing several pertinent issues as it pertains to disaster management, preparedness and response.
Speaking at the MOU signing ceremony Thursday night and in expounding on the significance of the conference, the Director of the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Agency (CDEMA), Roland Jackson told invited guests that the event is being held in a non CARICOM member state for the first time and by extension in an overseas territory for a first time.
“It makes the event a landmark event in many respects, and certainly the programme and the signal interest in the participation will complement and further highlight the significance of this year’s landmark event,” Roland Jackson said.
Prime Minister’s speech below
As I begin this evening I would to thank each of you for taking time from your busy schedules to be with us here this evening as we Launch the 11th Caribbean Conference on Comprehensive Disaster Management (CDM11) which will run from December 2nd to December 6th, 2019 right here on our friendly shores of Sint Maarten.
The conference will be convened under the theme “The Road to Resilience Check Point 2019 – Safeguarding Our Communities, Livelihoods and Economies”.
The saying goes every journey begins with the first step. Well this evening is a second step and another huge stride towards a potential positive outcome for Sint Maarten and CDEMA. By now, everyone knows that I am a very passionate proponent of Caribbean unity and how that unity can lead to mutually beneficial outcomes, such as Sint Maarten joining CDEMA in the near future.
Allow me to reflect, On July 8th this year we took the first step, as I had the pleasure of signing the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at CDEMA Headquarters in Barbados on behalf of the Kingdom of the Netherlands ensuring cooperation on disaster risk management. The MoU, which was co-signed by Mr. Ronald Jackson Executive Director of CDEMA.
The MOU applies to all the Dutch Caribbean islands, Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten and the public entities of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba. The cooperation aims to limit the impacts of climate change by strengthening the conditions necessary for sustainable regional development.
As Prime Minister and Chairlady of the Disaster Management Organization Sint Maarten continues to take positive strides to strengthen our Disaster Risk Management and I am truly confident and optimistic about our outlook and ability to withstand any disaster that may come our way. We are on the right track but we cannot rest.
Considering the rapid rate of climate change and its effects, I believe Disaster Risk Management will remain a top priority for many Governments around the world for many years to come. Having CDEMA as a partner will be an asset as Sint Maarten can benefit from years of experience of some 18 participating members. After gathering so much feedback from our own Disaster Management Team members, I also believe that Sint Maarten will be positive contributor to the knowledge exchange and learning materials that CDEMA promotes.
I am not sure how each you may be feeling this evening about the Launch of the conference but I would like to express my joy, excitement and pride as the Government of Sint Maarten together with our new partner CDEMA embarks on the journey of hosting this auspicious event for the first time on Sint Maarten.
Since taking office, it has been a great learning experience in understanding Disaster Risk Management and its complexities especially if you are looking to achieve success with a limited national budget.
I am looking forward to attending the 11th Caribbean Conference on Comprehensive Disaster Management. This conference aims to give participants the opportunity to interact and learn from a strong base of regional and international partners and donors, representatives of government ministries, national disaster management offices, disaster risk management practitioners, private sector organizations, academia, invited speakers and panelists, under one roof here on Sint Maarten.
Some of the objectives of the conference that have stood out to me thus far are to:
- Promote the goals of and build commitment for Comprehensive Disaster Management (CDM)
- Showcase opportunities for protecting livelihoods and economies within various communities
- Promote youth empowerment in safeguarding our communities, livelihoods and economies
- Identify lessons from past events and opportunities to inform future resilience
- Facilitate exchanges and knowledge sharing on Comprehensive Disaster Management related research, tools, models, products, information and educational materials
As I conclude this evening, I want to thank Mr Ronald Jackson Executive Director of CDEMA and his staff for believing in Sint Maarten and granting us the opportunity to display our resilience and hospitality by taking us up on our offer to host the 11th Caribbean Conference on Comprehensive Disaster Management in Sunshine City, Sint Maarten.
I call upon the people of Sint Maarten to extend their warmest welcome and friendliness to the 300 or more attendees that are scheduled to visit our beautiful island from December 2nd to the 6th. In my heart of hearts I am confident that your stay with us on Sint Maarten will be a memorable one and I can almost guarantee that you will soon be planning your return visit whether for a repeat conference or for personal rest and relaxation.
I thank you and I look forward to signing the MOU marking the launch of the conference.
