CDC Director General appointed Vice-Chairman of ACS’ Disaster Risk Reduction Committee

Director General of the Civil Defence Commission (CDC), Lieutenant Colonel Kester Craig, has recently been appointed a Vice-Chairman of the Special Committee on Disaster Risk Reduction by the Association of Caribbean States (ACS).
Lieutenant Colonel Craig shares this portfolio with a colleague from the Dominican Republic, and together they will serve from 2021 to 2022.
The Association of Caribbean States is a product of the desire of the 35 contracting States, countries and territories of the Greater Caribbean to enhance cooperation within the region – an initiative aimed at building upon obvious geographic proximity and well-documented historical linkages.

As stated in the convention establishing the ACS, its primary purpose is to be an organisation for “consultation, cooperation, and concerted action” for its member countries. Its framework provides a forum for political dialogue that allows members opportunities to identify areas of common interest and concern that may be addressed at the regional level, and the solutions for which can be found through cooperation.
The Ministerial Council of the ACS, which is made up of Ministers and Representatives of the member States, has appointed several Special Committees to aid in the implementation of its mandate. Each Committee is operated by an Executive Board which consists of a chairman, two vice-chairmen and a rapporteur.
The Special Committee on Disaster Risk Reduction, of which Lieutenant Colonel Craig is one of two Vice-Chairmen, is headed by a representative from Jamaica, with its rapporteur hailing from Trinidad and Tobago.
Lieutenant Colonel Craig has 25 years’ experience in the military service, and more than 15 years of experience working with community groups; Government agencies; and national, regional, and international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in the local government, health, security, energy, and environmental sectors.
Craig serves as the current Director General of the Civil Defence Commission. He had previously held the positions of Deputy Director General and Operations and Training Officer at the Civil Defence Commission (CDC); Adjutant and Avionics Supervisor at Air Corps; and an Infantry Commander/Platoon Commander of the Guyana Defence Force.
He also serves as Chairman of the Plan, Development and Review Subcommittee of the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), and Founder and President of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Alumni (Guyana).
Craig has a Masters of Public Administration (MPA) specialised in Emergency Management from Walden University, a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Emergency and Disaster Management (Honours) from the America Military University, and is a Project Management Professional (PMP) certified by the Project Management Institute.
The Executive Board of the Special Committee on Disaster Risk Reduction will serve to foster co-operation among the organisations responsible for disaster planning and relief in the region. This will allow for the prevention and mitigation of risks, and for the purpose of incorporating knowledge on prevention, education and planning with respect to the effects of disasters.