CDEMA - Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency

📍Saint Lucia 🇱🇨

As part of her official mission to Saint Lucia for the Fifty-First Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM, CDEMA Executive Director, Ms. Elizabeth Riley, paid a courtesy call on Mr. Hirohito Takata, Resident Representative of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Saint Lucia Office, to reaffirm the longstanding partnership between JICA and CDEMA and discuss opportunities to further strengthen collaboration in disaster risk management and resilience.

Mr. Yuki Takano, Project Formulation Advisor, and Ms. Elvinette Wilson, Programme Officer from the JICA Saint Lucia Office also participated in the discussion.

📣 PRESS RELEASE

CDEMA and CARPHA sign MoU to strengthen regional resilience through strategic partnership.

🇧🇸 Happy 53rd Independence Day, The Bahamas! 🇧🇸

Today, CDEMA joins the people and Government of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas in celebrating 53 years of independence.

We recognize The Bahamas’ continued commitment to regional cooperation and comprehensive disaster management, and extend our best wishes for a safe, prosperous, and resilient future.

Happy Independence Day, The Bahamas!

Happy Virgin Islands Day! 🇻🇬

Today, CDEMA joins in celebrating the people, culture, and heritage of the Virgin Islands. Wishing everyone a joyful and memorable celebration filled with pride, unity, and resilience.

Happy CARICOM Day!

On July 4th, we celebrated CARICOM Day and commemorated 53 years of regional integration, cooperation, and shared progress since the signing of the Treaty of Chaguaramas in 1973.

As a proud institution of the Caribbean Community, the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) remains committed to advancing Comprehensive Disaster Management (CDM) and strengthening resilience across our Participating States through regional collaboration, preparedness, and coordinated action.

On this occasion, CDEMA extends warm congratulations to The Honourable Philip J. Pierre, Prime Minister of Saint Lucia, on assuming the role of Chairman of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM. We look forward to his leadership in advancing a stronger, safer, and more resilient Caribbean.

Together, we celebrate our shared heritage, our enduring partnerships, and our collective commitment to A Community for All.

Happy 53rd CARICOM Day!

📍Fort-de-France, Martinique

Today June 29th 2026, CDEMA Executive Director Elizabeth Riley and Rear Admiral Jean-Baptiste Soubrier, Commander of the French Armed Forces in the Antilles (FAF), signed a Framework Agreement that formalizes and strengthens cooperation between the two organizations in humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HADR). The Agreement establishes a framework for enhanced coordination, interoperability, knowledge exchange, joint preparedness activities, capacity development, and operational collaboration in support of disaster resilience across the Caribbean.

During the mission, Ms. Riley also toured the Dumont d’Urville at Fort Saint-Louis, reinforcing CDEMA’s engagement with the French Armed Forces in the Antilles and their shared commitment to advancing regional preparedness and response capabilities.

Trinidad and Tobago is now the Chair of the CDEMA Council of Ministers, following the successful convening of the 16th Meeting of the Council of Ministers on 26 June 2026 in Port of Spain.
During the meeting, Minister of Homeland Security of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, the Honourable Roger Alexander, officially assumed the Chairmanship from The Commonwealth of The Bahamas.
As Chair, Minister Alexander will provide strategic leadership to the Council of Ministers, guiding regional policy discussions and supporting initiatives aimed at strengthening disaster risk management, preparedness, response, recovery, and resilience across the Caribbean.
The Council meeting brought together Ministers and senior representatives responsible for disaster management from CDEMA Participating States to deliberate on key governance, policy and strategic matters affecting the Agency and the region.
Discussions focused on strengthening regional collaboration and reaffirmed the collective commitment to addressing the increasingly complex risks posed by extreme weather events, geophysical hazards and other emerging threats.
CDEMA extends its sincere appreciation to The Commonwealth of The Bahamas for its leadership and stewardship of the Council over the past year and congratulates Minister Roger Alexander on his appointment as Chair. The Agency also expresses its gratitude to the Government and people of Trinidad and Tobago for hosting the meeting and for their continued commitment to advancing regional resilience.

📢 Press Release.

The 16th Regular Meeting of the CDEMA Council of Ministers will convene in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, bringing together Ministers with responsibility for disaster management, senior government officials, regional institutions, and development partners from CDEMA’s 20 Participating States.

Held ahead of the 2026 Atlantic Hurricane Season, the meeting will focus on strengthening regional preparedness and operational readiness, advancing Comprehensive Disaster Management, enhancing the Regional Response Mechanism, and providing strategic policy direction to further build a safer and more resilient Caribbean.

📍Belmopan, Belize

CDEMA Deputy Executive Director Lt. Col. Kester Craig recently met with the staff of the Belize National Emergency Management Organisation (NEMO) at its Headquarters in Belmopan, where he provided an overview of CDEMA’s mandate, programmes, and the support available to Participating States.

The engagement reaffirmed the commitment of both organizations to strengthening their partnership and leveraging technology and innovation to enhance regional resilience. During the visit, Lt. Col. Craig also briefed NEMO District staff virtually and toured the NEMO Headquarters to gain further insight into the organization’s operations and capabilities.