In an ongoing effort to enhance emergency preparedness in Central America, the Logistics Cluster Team led the second Central American Workshop on Logistics Preparedness for Emergencies. This event marks a significant and consistent step towards better coordination and collaboration among various regional actors.
Workshop Objective
The main objective of this workshop was to continue the discussions held during the First Central American Workshop (2022) and the Binational Honduras/Guatemala Workshop (2023). It aimed to present the progress made in various existing preparedness initiatives and discuss aspects of the current situation in the subregion. The initiatives presented ranged from digital platforms to discussions related to civil-military coordination in emergencies and the presentation of strengths and weaknesses analyses of the risk management agencies of the participating states.
"Understanding the region's problems broadens the necessary understanding and knowledge to plan response actions and create strategic ties."
- Participant's comment.
The workshop aimed to promote the exchange of knowledge, experiences, and best practices, which has been shown to directly impact efficient and effective coordination and collaboration between entities from different sectors during emergencies. The workshop was well-received by participants, achieving a 94% satisfaction rate.
Participants included representatives from leading disaster risk management agencies of Honduras, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Panama, regional coordination bodies such as SICA and CEPREDENAC, donors such as BHA and ECHO, and entities from the humanitarian, private, and military sectors.
Key Actions
During the workshop, working groups were divided by themes relevant to the main category issues identified in the region such as prepositioning, digital tools, multisectoral coordination, and other cross-cutting issues.
"The workshop's methodology seemed very appropriate; interacting with public institutions that play a crucial role in emergency response allowed us to establish action plans, which I hope we can implement for the benefit of all."
- Participant's comment.
Working group’s themes
Prepositioning
The importance of improving training and general knowledge on emergency processes for public entity personnel at border points was highlighted, along with the need to evaluate the use of digital tools like Stockholm from ESUPS. This is the next step for several countries in the region that have already implemented it (Guatemala and Honduras - please check details of the project on the link provided for each country).
Digital Tools
The standardization of tools through the development and use of a guide platform or catalog that will further enhance coordination between (or set up a network) suppliers was discussed. This aims to facilitate visibility and sharing of information to improve response capacity during emergencies.
In this category was highlighted the need to continue developing a common language for logistics information between sectors and promoting interoperability between different digital platforms.
Multisectoral Coordination
Importance of improving collaboration between humanitarian system organizations and regional bodies such as The Central American Economic Integration Secretariat (SIECA), Central American Integration System (SICA), Coordination Center for the Prevention of Disasters in Central America and the Dominican Republic (CEPREDENAC), and others was emphasized to facilitate the transit of humanitarian aid through regional customs agreements.
Integral Perspectives
Key actions were identified, such as the standardization of customs and migration procedures. This involves developing and applying unified procedures for customs and migration in humanitarian aid contexts, intending to facilitate the rapid and coordinated movement of humanitarian resources across borders.
The importance of coordination with the private sector through corporate social responsibility networks, such as INTEGRARSE, was also mentioned.
Development of the actions identified during this workshop will depend on the collaboration of all actors involved in emergency logistics response. The second Central American Workshop on Logistics Preparedness for Emergencies, organized by the Logistics Cluster Preparedness regional team for Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), has been validated as a strategic space to enhance coordination in logistics preparedness activities in the region and ensure that local and regional actors are well equipped and prepared to respond to emergencies.
"We must strengthen the existing mechanisms in the region through teamwork focused on unifying key ideas for better development of the expected actions when responding to an emergency in the region."
- Participant's comment.