RC Trebucq's Remarks at the OECS Regional Workshop: Mainstreaming the Human Security Approach to Disaster Displacement and Environmental Migration

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

• The Honourable Joseph Easton Taylor-Farrell – Premier of Montserrat & Chairman of the OECS and fellow colleagues.
• Lt. Col. Kester Craig - Deputy Executive Director, CDEMA, and fellow CDEMA colleagues.
• Ms. Michele Klein-Solomon – IOM Regional Director for Central and North America and the Caribbean and fellow IOM colleagues.
• Mr. Ovais Sarmad – Deputy Executive Secretary, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and fellow UNFCCC colleagues.
• Mr. Atle Solberg - Head of Secretariat Platform on Disaster Displacement (PDD).
• Ms. Hitomi Kubo – representative for the United Nations Trust Fund for Human Security.
• Colleagues, representatives of UN Agencies and other organizations here today.

Good morning,

It’s my pleasure to welcome you all to today’s Technical Workshop: Mainstreaming the Human Security Approach in OECS Member States.

First, allow me to congratulate the United Nations Trust Fund for Human Security, IOM, OECS, UNFCCC and the Platform on Disaster Displacement (PDD), for successfully convening this workshop.

This moment is the prime opportunity for us to raise awareness in the region on human mobility in contexts of disasters and the climate crisis, which is this Joint Programme’s focus.

Climate change is the defining crisis of our time and disaster displacement one of its most devastating consequences.

In his message yesterday to launch  the ‘Climate Change 2023: Synthesis Report’ of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, UN Secretary General Guterres warned that the climate time bomb was ticking, and the IPCC Report was a how-to guide to diffuse it.

Presenting a plan for an all-hands-on-deck Acceleration Agenda, the UN Chief called for a massive fast-track of climate efforts by every country, and every sector, on every time frame.

“In short our world needs climate action on all fronts – everything, everywhere , all at once,” he asserted.

As we all know, the Caribbean region stands on the frontlines of the current climate crisis, ranking among countries with the highest vulnerability, being seven times more likely to experience a natural hazard than larger states, with potential  to incur six times more damage. (According to IMF Research)

With at least 1.2 billion people likely to be displaced by natural disasters by 2050, (IEP, 2021), the frequency of natural disasters within the region means that recovery can take years. Dominica and Antigua and Barbuda are fresh in our minds with countries still recovering from the devastating impacts caused by the passage of Hurricanes Maria and  Irma over the past six years.

Strengthening disaster risk management and risk reduction measures, along with enhancing the adaptiveness of safety nets are key to prevent, mitigate and respond to the impacts of climate-related shocks and disasters.

Disaster risk reduction education provides people and communities with the key skills needed to address the consequences of the climate crisis, and mitigate future effects through transformed behaviour, especially for those most vulnerable. This includes women and girls, persons with disabilities, displaced persons, children, vulnerable men, and the elderly.

By educating communities on the effects of disaster impact and environmental degradation on human mobility, we can minimize the risk of displacement and achieve new solutions for people on the move.

Persons displaced by disasters and environmental migrants generally suffer from lack of protection and enhanced vulnerability, due to lack of access to basic services and security to meet their needs. We must ensure that our collective actions and efforts in the region  remain people centred.

I recognize that important measures have been considered already to address these challenges, and I welcome the fact that this Joint Programme is supporting harmonization of national policies and regional protocols.

Phase I of this Joint Programme brings us together today, and this workshop will allow us to review the national assessments, identify best practices and generally increase regional awareness of the human security approach. I am pleased to announce that a second phase  is being considered, to scale up intervention through greater involvement of other regional bodies of CARICOM, to increase the number of programme beneficiaries and to  expand community engagement.

I wish to encourage participants and organizers to take advantage of this workshop and continue efforts to network and share experiences and lessons to better address human mobility in contexts of disasters and climate change from a human security perspective.

Again, it gives me great pleasure to welcome you, and I wish you all great success.