A new landmark agreement to enhance cooperation on integrated disaster risk management was signed this Wednesday, May 15, 2024, between the European Union and national and regional actors.
Development of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was led by the European Commission’s Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations Department, and supported by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction. It brought together governmental, inter-governmental, and non-governmental organisations for negotiations, starting in 2023.
Shortly before the signing, Minister of Home Affairs and Information, Wilfred Abrahams, told the gathering that effective disaster risk management contributes to sustainable development, and the reduction of disaster risk may be considered as a cost-effective investment in preventing future losses.
“Barbados and by extension the entire region welcome the accelerated international cooperation to advance our disaster risk management and resilience agendas. The European Union has a wealth of experience, expertise, and resources in disaster management, emergency response mechanisms, capacity building and early warning systems.”
“Similarly, the LAC (Latin America and Caribbean) region possesses invaluable knowledge and insights garnered from years of grappling with disasters. By pooling strengths and sharing best practices with the European Union, Barbados and the Caribbean neighbours all stand to benefit significantly from these lessons learnt over time,” Abrahams stated.
He noted that the EU has signalled its intention to invest over US$47 million in humanitarian aid to enhance disaster preparedness in Latin America and the Caribbean region. He added that the money was intended to address urgent humanitarian needs across the region resulting from natural hazards, health emergencies, and other forms of emergencies.
Abrahams said Barbados supports the strengthening of the partnership between the EU-LAC in disaster preparedness:
“It makes no sense to try to combat these challenges alone. It is just not possible…. Resulting damages and losses could extend beyond the ability of a single country or region to respond and recover effectively…. Collaborations, such as the EU-LAC Partnership on Disaster Preparedness, are therefore crucial to efforts at enhancing national safety and security while building resilience to hazards and disasters.”
“The European Union and countries of Latin America and the Caribbean have come together in a shared commitment to mitigate the impact of disasters and build more resilient communities. This allows us to share best practices and experiences in disaster preparedness and building resilience, which must now become the new normal for countries battling worsening climate crises and other hazard-induced disasters,” he contended.
The Minister expressed the view that countries must recognise the importance of the integration of resilience in the wider national, regional, and global space to facilitate true transformation to a resilient state.
He proffered the view that they must seek to establish best practices and apply lessons learned and technological innovations to empower communities, businesses, and individuals to better prepare for, respond to, and recover from these hazards.
Implementation of the MoU will enhance collaboration to support countries in their efforts to build whole-of-society disaster resilience, reduce disaster risks, and impacts, and therefore contribute to prosperity and well-being towards a sustainable future.
During the 2023 negotiations, the Latin America and the Caribbean region was represented by four leading inter-governmental organisations – the Coordination Center for the Prevention of Disasters in Central America and the Dominican Republic; the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (under CARICOM); the General Secretariat for the Andean Community of Nations; and the Meeting of Ministers and High Authorities for Integrated Risk Management of the South American Common Market.
Chile, Cuba, and Mexico also joined as signatories to the agreement. Wednesday’s signing event, held at Savannah Hotel, brought together ministers, national authorities, high-level representatives from the EU, inter-governmental agencies, United Nations agencies, and regional partners, among others.
Minister of Home Affairs, Wilfred Abrahams, in conversation with Chairman of CDEMA and Saint Lucia’s Minister of Education, Sustainable Development, Innovation, Science, Technology and Vocational Training, Shawn Edward, and Executive Director of CDEMA, Elizabeth Riley a today’s signing ceremony. (Photo credit: J. Bishop/BGIS)
SOURCE: Barbados Government Information Service (BGIS).
