ACP SECRETARIAT
PRESS RELEASE
20 September 2004

DECLARATION BY THE ACP GROUP FOLLOWING THE HURRICANES WHICH RECENTLY PASSED THROUGH THE CARIBBEAN REGION

The ACP Group, deeply saddened by the tremendous loss of human life and socio-economic infrastructures caused by the series of hurricanes which swept through several Caribbean countries – The Bahamas, Barbados, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Saint-Lucia, Saint-Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago - especially Hurricane IVAN which struck Grenada, Jamaica and Cuba with exceptional force,

- Expresses sincere condolences and deepest sympathy to the peoples and Governments of these countries, as well as to the families of the victims;

- Stresses, once again, the extreme vulnerability of the economies of Island developing States that can be wiped out at any moment by natural disasters which, unfortunately, are increasingly frequent in the region;

- Calls on the EU, in particular, and the entire international community, in general, to ensure that the necessary financial support is quickly mobilised for reconstruction in the countries which have been devastated in particular Grenada and Jamaica;

- Draws the attention of the EU and the entire international community to the special situation of Grenada, which has been completely devastated and whose economy and activities as a country have been brought to a complete halt, and stresses the great urgency for financial, material and human support for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the country;

- Calls on the EU and the international community to set up, as a matter of urgency, effective, rapid-response systems so that, in addition to humanitarian emergency aid, appropriate measures may be put in place to anticipate and minimise the effects of natural disasters and, in particular, to expedite the reconstruction of socio-economic infrastructures;

- Commends the Caribbean region, and recognises the efforts already undertaken by the EU and other development partners and organisations, for the States affected by the hurricanes;

- Pledges to undertake, within the ACP Group, and in collaboration with its development partners, all the necessary actions to ensure that development plans and programmes adequately respond to the vulnerability of Island developing States.