Remarks of the CDERA Coordinator at the
Signing of the MOU with World Food Programme (WFP)
Panama City, March 21, 2007

CDERA is extremely delighted to have this occasion of the high level representatives of regional and international actors in disaster management in the Caribbean, to demonstrate our continued commitment to the advancing of partnerships towards building strong effective and efficient capacity at national and community level through the signing of this MOU with The World Food Programme (WFP).

The CDERA partnerships are anchored within our framework for Comprehensive Disaster Management (CDM).  In December of 2006, we had the opportunity to share, with our partners, a review of efforts at advancing Comprehensive Disaster Management (CDM) over the last five (5) years.

The assessment report is clear in detailing the achievements made as well as identifying gaps and opportunities for addressing these.

The five (5) year period 2001-2006, recorded several achievements in the institutionalizing of the CDERA mechanism, project support from donor partners and civil society, improved project implementation, resource pooling, hazard analysis and mitigation strategies and emergency management infrastructure.

It is also clear that more investment at building national capacity is required, as well as the need to continue elaborating the architecture for donor cooperation and coordination.

Four (4) priority areas were embraced by our partners as the infrastructure for a Regional Comprehensive Disaster Management programme that seeks to promote sustainable development, embraces the Hyogo Framework of Action and advances the Caribbean Community Regional Programme Framework 2005 – 2015.

The four (4) priority outcomes are Capacity building, Community level focus, Integration and Mainstreaming.

The four (4) outcomes are:

1. Enhance institutional support for CDM Program implementation at  national and  regional levels 

2. An effective mechanism and programme for management of  comprehensive disaster management knowledge has been established

3. Disaster Risk Management has been mainstreamed  at national levels  and  incorporated into key sectors of national economies (including  tourism, health and agriculture)

4. Enhanced community resilience in CDERA states/ territories to  mitigate and respond to the adverse effects of climate change and  disasters

This MOU with WFP is timely in that is allows us to frame our cooperation towards specific outcomes and agreed inputs within a mechanism that allows for the measuring of progress.

CDERA has no doubt about the commitment of the World Food Programme to assist in building regional capacity in its area of competitive advantage. 

CDERA and WFP are already meeting on a regular basis.  WFP is participating in the planning committees and regional meetings organised by CDERA.

The World Food Programme’s (WFP) offer to support capacity building in our system in areas of logistics intervention in emergencies, warehouse management and emergency food security, provide an immediate platform for delivering on this MOU.

I note among you are members of organizations with whom we have already signed a MOU.  The revised CDM Strategy and Regional Priority Outcomes provide an opportunity for review of these MOUs and the framing of cooperation initiatives within this new reality.

We have already been engaging our partners in this reflective exercise.  Our discussions here in Panama, are intended to cement the groundwork necessary for more structured cooperation.

Jeremy Collymore
March 21, 2007