Second Caribbean Ministerial Forum on School Safety

The Second Caribbean Ministerial School Safety Forum will be hosted by the Ministry of Education, National Reconciliation, Ecclesiastical Affairs and Information in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines on 29 and 30 April 2019 in Kingstown. This Forum will be organized by the Ministry in close collaboration with the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (Unicef), the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS). The organization of the Forum is possible thanks to the financial support by the Department of the European Commission for Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO).

Objectives and Expected Outcomes

The Second Ministerial Forum on School Safety in the Caribbean is a follow-up on the Forum held in April 2017. It will respond to the need for a collaborative and coordinated approach among actors in the region’s education sector. It will contribute to: CDEMA’s Regional Comprehensive Disaster Management (CDM) Strategy and Programming Framework 2014-2024; UNISDR’s Worldwide Initiative for Safe Schools (WISS); Caribbean Safe School Initiative; the Samoa Action Plan for SIDS, the Global Action Program on Education for Sustainable Development; the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, and to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The forum will be linked to a youth forum “My Island, my life” to identify safety issues around the 3 pillars and presenting the conclusions and recommendations to the Ministerial Forum; depending on funding the youth forum will be national or regional in scope.

The forum will be based on the sustainability principles with green measure to reduce the carbon foot print (such as reduce the use of printed material, no plastic in catering service among others).

Objectives

1. To update the Caribbean Regional Roadmap on school safety

2. To facilitate adherence to the Antigua and Barbuda Declaration on School Safety and Regional Roadmap implementation by additional member states.

3. To monitor progress and achievements in the implementation of the Caribbean Regional Roadmap on School Safety

4. To promote and raise awareness of the World Initiative on Safe Schools and the Caribbean Schools Safety Initiative

5. To promote the engagement of Youth in the CSSI

6. To facilitate a Ministerial Dialogue with donors on support for the Caribbean Safe Schools Initiative

Expected outcomes

1. Caribbean Regional Roadmap on Schools Safety Updated

2. Adherence to the Antigua and Barbuda Declaration on School Safety by additional member states

3. Progress report on the implementation of the Caribbean Regional Road map on School Safety

4. Awareness of the Caribbean School Safety initiative and the World Initiative on School Safety raised

5. Youth contributions to the Caribbean Regional Road map on School Safety harnessed

6. Donor support for the Caribbean Safe Schools Initiative identified

7. Inputs for the Global Platform 2019 and Regional Platform 2020 defined

8. New Chair of the Caribbean Safe Schools Initiative and next host state identified

Participants

The Forum is primarily targeting Ministries of Education, Ministers themselves, as well as technical advisors; national disaster management agencies will also be invited if funding is secured. In addition, regional organizations that support the implementation of School Safety in the Caribbean will be invited.

Although it is noted that relevant work has been undertaken by many Caribbean countries in enhancing School Safety, the Forum will focus on CDEMA Participating States and other countries in the Caribbean