ST. GEORGE’S, GRENADA; MONDAY, AUGUST 30th, 2010 – Prime Minister Hon. Tillman Thomas, addressed the opening session of the just concluded conference entitled, "Fighting for Survival: The Vulnerability of America's Gulf Coast and the Caribbean Basin,” with a stirring message which influenced discussions throughout the duration of the important get-together of over 150 policymakers, scientists and corporate stakeholders from North America, Central and South America and the Caribbean. PM Thomas was accompanied by his Aide, Gerry Hopkin and Senior Environmental Officer, Paul Phillip.
The conference, which was organized and hosted by the UNDP, Columbia Univ. and the City of New Orleans was held in New Orleans from August 25-26, 2010, ahead of the 5th anniversary of Katrina.
Prime Minister Thomas’ address was as much a rallying cry for bringing attention to the shared vulnerabilities of the region, as much as it was a challenging appeal to get nations of the world, especially developed nations that pollute the most, to see the predicament of small island developing states (SIDS) through more reasonable lens and to immediately take steps to address the concerns of SIDS.
“We have very high exposure to the impacts of climate change…and we also have very low adaptive capabilities as a result of our small size…. As [such], the vulnerability of SIDS has multiple dimensions – it is economic; it is social; and it is environmental,” PM Thomas illustrated.
“Vulnerability is not the same thing as poverty or economic underdevelopment; and nominal economic progress in a minority of our countries does not make these and all other islands any less vulnerable to the economic, social and environmental factors [highlighted above],” PM Thomas further pointed out.
Outlining the crucial lens and mindset needed to address the situation of SIDS, PM Thomas, who Chairs the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), boldly went on to state, “So as we move forward, we have to get the understanding clear in our minds, that economic development should be distinguished from vulnerability, while recognizing that higher levels of economic development would strengthen our resilience and our ability to cope with these shocks.
It is therefore important that the international community recognize the vulnerability of small island developing states and develop mechanisms to support these islands,” PM Thomas added.
The remarks and call to action presented by PM Thomas played a significant part in influencing the direction of the deliberations of the conference. In fact, it drew an immense amount of applause and direct commendations from various participants at the conference, including Dr. Jeffrey D. Sachs, PhD (conference organizer, author, Advisor to UN Sec. Gen. Ban Ki Moon and Director of The Earth Institute at Columbia University), and government leaders, ambassadors and representatives of various nations.
Another moving presentation came from Dr. Sachs, who at the beginning of the conference framed the event as one that would cover the steps to be taken for effective sustainable development (assessment; examination of policy options/implications; appropriate design/policy making; and management/implementation) and concluded the deliberations with a scintillating summary and action plan/agenda, which attendees were encouraged to adopt and follow-up through engagement.
Besides delivering a stirring speech, PM Thomas had a one-on-one meeting with the Mayor of New Orleans, Mitchell Landrieu, in which they discussed ways to improve relations through cultural exchange and preservation, and sharing of information and technology that address the vulnerabilities which Grenada and New Orleans have in common (impacts of climate change, rising sea level, and hurricanes). Mayor Landrieu also expressed an interest in visiting Grenada.
PM Thomas also had the opportunity to meet Lt. General Russel Honore (retired); U.S. EPA Administrator, Ms. Lisa P. Jackson; Dr. Jeffrey D. Sachs; U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu; The Hon Jean Marie Claude Germain, Haiti's Minister of the Environment; Dr. Irwin Redlener, MD, Director, National Center for Disaster Preparedness; The Hon. James Lee Witt (former Head of FEMA under Pres. Bill Clinton and CEO of Witt Associates); and Stein R. Hansen, UNDP Deputy Resident Rep in Barbados and the OECS; and Dr. Christopher Briggs, PhD, UNDP’s Team Leader of Energy and Environment in the Regional Service Center for Latin America & the Caribbean.
Other important participants at the conference included Hon. Stephenson King, PM of St. Lucia; Hon Anh "Joseph" Cao, US Congressman; Dr. Scott Cowen, President of Tulane; Dr. Michael Martin, Chancellor of Louisiana State Univ; Mayor Randy Roach, City of Lake Charles; Alejandro Maldonado, Exec Sec of Guatemala's National Coordination for Disaster Reduction; Dr. Stephen Flyn, Pres of US National Center for Disaster Preparedness; Dr. Christopher D'Elia, Dean School of the Coast and Environment, LSU; and Dr. Ulric Trotz, Science Adviser of the Caribbean Community Climate Change Center.
