Theme: “Strengthening CDM Through Youth and Community Empowerment”

The Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) along with the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) will be hosting the fourth Caribbean Conference on Comprehensive Disaster Management (CDM) at the Rose Hall Resort and Spa in Montego Bay Jamaica on December 7-11, 2009.

The theme for this year’s conference, Strengthening CDM through Youth and Community Empowerment is designed to create greater awareness about disaster management among communities and youths, to allow them to build resilience to hazards. The Caribbean Conference on Comprehensive Disaster Management was previously held in Barbados and is the region’s annual signature disaster management forum, which aids to advance the CDM Agenda and measure its progress in the region.

Over 200 participants are expected to attend from Caricom States, Latin American and South American countries, Diplomatic Corps, Ministers, Senators, Lecturers, and disaster management professional across the territories. Prime Minister the Hon Bruce Golding, will be the keynote speaker at the Conference Opening and Exhibition Ceremony on Tuesday, December 8, 2009, at 7 p.m.

Key conference sessions will include:

• Professional Development SessionsCase Study Sessions

• Showcasing of Comprehensive Disaster Management Programme to Advance CDM

• Disaster Management Exposition

• Youth Session

The CDM Conference is a regional event of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR) global platform and is structured to promote good practice, share ongoing research, for the advancement of CDM in the Caribbean and to provide opportunities for facilitating networking among disaster management Practitioners, Public and Private sector organizations and other CDM Stakeholders.

Live webcast of the conference can be accessed via ODPEM’s website www.odpem.org.jm with an audience interactive feature persons on facebook and twitter will be able to participate.

Contact: Kimberley Weller, Information Officer, KWeller@odpem.org.jm