Montego Bay, Jamaica, December 10, 2009 (CDEMA,ODPEM) - Jamaica’s Prime Minister the Honourable Bruce Golding formally opened the fourth Caribbean Conference on Comprehensive Disaster Management (CDM) and Exhibition at the Rose Hall, Hilton in Jamaica on Tuesday this week. In his address, Prime Minister Golding acknowledged the tremendous contribution of the region’s disaster management fraternity to development. He also commended the key players for advancing the DM agenda and acknowledged their critical role in further shaping the development of the Small Island Developing States of the region. Mr. Golding expressed support for the overarching goal of CDM - poverty reduction - and urged those present to continue to work assiduously to address this issue towards achieving sustainable development.

Also bringing remarks was the Executive Director of the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) Mr. Jeremy Collymore who positioned the work of the Agency and the CDM Conference in the context of the global expansion of Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) initiatives. He emphasized that DRR activities have developed immensely from the region’s fledgling DM organizations – the Pan Caribbean Disaster Preparedness Prevention Project (PCDPPP) to CDEMA and Jamaica’s ODIPERC to ODPEM. The Executive Director stated based on the many trans-boundary threats affecting the region and their potential for creating large scale disruptions that “DRR requires a more sustained presence in our international diplomacy.”

Mr. Ronald Jackson ODPEM’s Director General also assured the delegation that work is being done, despite the challenges associated with implementation of DM initiatives. ODPEM, he says, continues to execute its mandate while addressing the requirements for the attainment of the objectives of the Enhanced CDM framework. 

The fourth CDM Conference is an annual event which brings together the players in DRR and DM to create, generate and advance DM on the regional and international agendas.

For further information please contact:
Kimberley Weller, Information Officer
Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM)
12 Camp Road
Kingston 4,
Jamaica
Tel.  no.: 876 928 5111- 4
kweller@odpem.org.jm
        
Cassie Ann James, Communications Specialist
Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency
#1 Manor Lodge Complex. Lodge Hill.
St. Michael. Barbados.
Tel no.: (246) 425-0386
cassie.james@cdera.org