Project to assess current legal frameworks
Bridgetown -- Jan. 12, 2009 -- The Department of Sustainable Development (DSD) of the General
Secretariat of the Organization of American States (OAS), with the
support of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development
(World Bank), launched today the Caribbean Emergency Legislation
Project (CELP), and held the project’s First Steering Committee Meeting
in Bridgetown, Barbados.
The CELP will assess current legal
and institutional frameworks applicable under a state of emergency in
the Dominican Republic and eleven CARICOM member countries: Antigua and
Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Saint
Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and
Tobago; with the objective of providing a set of recommendations for
the implementation of clear and transparent procedures for natural
disaster response in the Caribbean.
In furthering the
project’s objective, a Steering Committee has been established to
provide policy advice on meeting the priorities of the project. The
Committee is comprised of high level natural disaster, legal, and
budget experts from across the Caribbean who represent various
government agencies and institutions including the: CARICOM
Secretariat, Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency, OECS
Secretariat, Offices of Disaster Preparedness and Management,
Ministries of Finance, University of the West Indies, and Caribbean
Development Bank.
During the meeting, the project methodology
was formally introduced and discussed by the Steering Committee
members. In his opening remarks, Cletus Springer, Director of the
OAS/DSD, highlighted the relevance of the project in addressing legal
issues related to natural disasters with an integrated approach, and in
engaging key stakeholders.