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mail@acs-aec.org
Success
in Ayiti
Twas
brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
—Lewis
Carroll; Jabberwocky, in Through the Looking-Glass (1872)
Though
the above-cited poem was well received by its 19th century
audience because it sounded good, it was not until later,
when Carroll provided the key (brillig means four pm: time
for broiling things for dinner), that it was understood
by anyone.
The ACS high-level conference on disaster reduction, held
November 14-16 in the stunning seaside resort of Saint-Marc,
Republic of Ayiti (Haiti), was the first-ever meeting on
the subject for the countries of the Greater Caribbean.
It was attended by high-level delegations from 21 ACS members
and 19 international and regional organisations as well
as members of civil society. In all, over 120 people participated
in the conference.
The conference was financed by the Government of the Republic
of Haiti, the ACS, the UN International Strategy for Disaster
Reduction and the Government of the Republic of Turkey.
Crucial technical and other support was also provided by
the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency, the Co-ordination
Centre for the Prevention of Natural Disasters in Central
America, the Economic Commission for Latin America and the
Caribbean, the Inter-American Development Bank, the International
Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the
Pan American Health Organisation, the UN Development Programme,
and the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian
Affairs.
The meeting was unique in many respects, not the least of
which was the climate of extreme frankness which prevailed,
allowing countries to showcase not only their current activities
and past triumphs in this field, but also to share their
deepest concerns by highlighting shortcomings at the national
and regional levels.
This conference now becomes a landmark for all those who
labour in the Greater Carib-bean in the field of disaster
risk reduction. The meeting reinforces the ACS’s place
as the premier forum in our region to bring together a group
of 28 countries, so dissimilar in relative size, language
and culture but which, nevertheless, face a common challenge
in this key area of our sustainable development.
Though we must of course wait upon the nod from the ministerial
council, once approved, the Saint-Marc Plan of Action, as
the major conference outcome is to be known, will become
the new road map for the region to follow, with the member
countries as the engines for change.
By finally linking our regional agenda to the larger international
agreement (the Hyogo Framework for Action) reached in Japan
in 2005 and by providing a template to bring together the
pioneering work already being carried out by Cdera, Cepredenac
and others, we will ensure that those who believe that in
our small, semi-enclosed sea, the ACS and organisations
such as Cdera and Cepredenac can only compete, are in for
a pleasant surprise.
Furthermore, by sticking to internationally agreed goals
and terminology, the Plan of Action will also allow for
a more fluid exchange with the UN system, particularly UNISDR
and Eclac and with the international donor community, thus
greatly facilitating access to badly needed financial and
technical resources and providing enhanced accountability
and transparency for donors.
Finally, as in the case of the poem, bringing our countries’
agreement down to earth at the regional and national level,
will allow us to operationalise complex concepts which regularly
encounter particular challenges as a result of our idiosyncrasies.
In other words, if we can translate Hyogo into Creole, Patois,
etc, we will stand a much better chance for success.
n Luis Carpio is the director of transport
and natural disasters of the Association of Caribbean States.
The views expressed are
not necessarily the official views of the ACS. Feedback
can be sent to: mail@acs-aec.org
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