GENEVA, Jun 5, CMC – St. Kitts-Nevis has called for further strengthening the regional architecture for monitoring and accountability as well as linking disaster risk reduction (DDR) activities to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDGs) and the Paris Agreement.
“This alignment is critical if we want our efforts to be sustainable and scalable,” said the’ Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of National Security, Glenroy Blanchette, as he highlighted six priority areas for the Caribbean at the eighth Session of the Global Platform for Disaster Reduction that ends here on Friday.
Blanchette said that while there had been some progress has been made in strengthening the regional architecture for monitoring and accountability, an improvement in multi-hazard early warning systems and progress made in coordinating DDR activities across different levels of government and non-government actors, but challenges still remain.
“Disaster risk financing remains a weak link, particularly for SIDS(Small Island Developing States) and vulnerable communities. Risk-informed investment is not keeping pace with growing needs as the Regional Assessment Report highlights strongly.
“Too often, innovative DRR financing instruments are still incipient, local governments lack access to the very resources they need to protect lives and livelihoods. And while early warning systems have expanded, they are still far from universal,” Blanchette told delegates.
He called for increasing and enhancing of risk knowledge to properly inform DRR investments and an emphasis on the vital role of generating and using quality risk information to support evidence-based decision-making.
“Increased investments in prospective risk assessments are crucial to facilitate the understanding the human and economic impacts of disaster risk, including its systemic nature, and for defining and informing effective DRR strategies that explicitly address the vulnerability component.”
Blanchette said there however exists a need to design and strengthen early warning systems in an accessible, inclusive, redundant and participatory way that are backed by high level commitment, as well as policy, legal, institutional, administrative frameworks that ensure their sustainability.
He made reference to the Investment in resilient infrastructure and housing, the strengthening capacities and financial readiness for resilient recovery and an enforced pivotal role of local governments.
Offering three “game-changers” from the Caribbean experience, Blanchette lauded the CDM Strategy and the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS.
“These are home-grown, locally-led mechanisms that drive implementation on the ground. Second, multi-sectoral financial strategies, like the regional finance strategy between DRR authorities and Ministers of Finance in Central America and Dominican Republic.
“These conversations are critical for unlocking DRR finances potentials and third, a whole-of-society approach, amplifying the voices of women, youth, indigenous peoples, and persons with disabilities, and ensuring DRR is shaped by those most affected by risk,” said Blanchette, reaffirming St. Kitts- Nevis’ commitment to the Sendai Framework and call on all regions to match urgency with innovation.
“Let us act decisively, invest wisely, and collaborate boldly to protect lives, livelihoods, and development gains across our region and beyond,” Blanchette said.
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