MEDIA RELEASE - MINISTRY OF NATIONAL SECURITY                                                                                                        MARCH 01, 2022

MINISTER OF NATIONAL SECURITY MEETS WITH UNITED NATIONS DISASTER RISK REDUCTION DELEGATION

Port of Spain: Today, Tuesday March 01, 2022, Minister of National Security, the Honourable Fitzgerald Hinds M.P., along with Minister of Rural Development and Local Government, Senator the Honourable Kazim Hosein, met with a visiting delegation from the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) Regional Office for the Americas and the Caribbean. The meeting took place at the Ministry of National Security’s Head Office, Abercromby Street, Port of Spain.

Also in attendance was Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management (ODPM), Major General (Ret’d) Rodney Smart. The delegation is in Trinidad and Tobago to provide support to the ODPM in achieving the targets and objectives set within the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030. The Framework was approved by Cabinet for adoption in Trinidad and Tobago. Minister Hinds extended his gratitude to the UNDRR team for their continued technical and financial support in the area of disaster risk reduction. The Minister indicated that he looks forward to ongoing fruitful engagements aimed at strengthening this country’s resilience to disasters.

UNDRR’s Programme Specialist, Mr. Carlos Uribe thanked the Minister for his warm welcome and stated that the UNDRR intends to offer further support to this country, especially in the area of capacity-building. Discussions focused on the development of activities related to major UNDRR-ODPM projects, which include the implementation of the Climate Risk Early Warning Systems (CREWS) in the Caribbean initiative; implementation of the CREWS Global Project for Measuring Effectiveness of Early Warning Systems (EWS) in Small Island Developing States (SIDS); support on the design and finalization of Trinidad and Tobago’s national and local strategies for disaster risk reduction (Country Work Programmes) and National Adaptation Plans.

Also attending the meeting were UNDRR Disaster Risk Reduction Advisor, Dr. Jair Torres; UNDRR Technical Advisor, Mr. Clement Da Cruz; UNDRR Consultant, Ms. Alana Lewis; Senior Disaster Management Coordinator, Ministry of Rural Development and Local Government, Mr. Jerry David and members of the ODPM’s executive and technical teams.

Following this morning’s meeting, a technical meeting was held at the Ministry with the executive members of the ODPM along with UNDRR representatives to discuss how strategic projects would be implemented to further strengthen Trinidad and Tobago’s disaster resilience.

Photos and captions:

1. From left to right: Senior Disaster Management Coordinator, Ministry of Rural Development and Local Government, Mr. Jerry David; United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) Consultant, Ms. Alana Lewis; Minister of Rural Development and Local Government, Senator the Honourable, Kazim Hosein; Minister of National Security, the Honourable Fitzgerald Hinds M.P.; UNDRR Programme Specialist, Mr. Carlos Uribe; Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management (ODPM), Major General (Ret’d) Rodney Smart; UNDRR Disaster Risk Reduction Advisor, Dr. Jair Torres; and UNDRR Technical Advisor, Mr. Clement Da Cruz.

2. Minister of National Security, the Honourable Fitzgerald Hinds M.P. along with Minister of Rural Development and Local Government, Senator the Honourable Kazim Hosein met with a delegation from the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) Regional Office for the Americas and the Caribbean led by Programme Specialist, Mr. Carlos Uribe. The meeting took place on Tuesday March 01, 2022 at the Ministry of National Security Head Office, Abercromby Street, Port of Spain.

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