MECODEX 2025 launches in Guyana to boost regional disaster preparedness

The Mechanism for Disaster Cooperation Exercise (MECODEX) 2025 was officially launched at the Pegasus Hotel on Monday. The high-level regional simulation aims to strengthen disaster preparedness across the Americas, with a particular focus on large-scale flood emergencies. Running from 19 to 22 May 2025, MECODEX brings together disaster response professionals, military representatives, and humanitarian agencies to test and evaluate coordinated response protocols within the framework of a realistic flood scenario. The event is being held in collaboration with the Inter-American Defence Board (IADB) and Guyana’s Civil Defence Commission (CDC).

During the opening ceremony, Prime Minister (PM) Mark Phillips emphasised the importance of unity among member nations in addressing disaster scenarios. He highlighted that such collaborative efforts are crucial in enhancing the region’s resilience to natural disasters.
“MECODEX 2025 serves as an exemplary model of cooperation by uniting member states of the Organisation of American States with regional defence and disaster management institutions, as well as humanitarian organisations operating within our region. This collaborative effort is aimed at fostering a robust network characterised by trust and shared responsibility. This initiative not only promotes the exchange of best practices and resources, but also strengthens our preparedness and resilience in the face of potential crises,” he said.
The PM added that the event highlights Guyana’s standing as a reliable partner in regional security and resilience efforts. It also demonstrates the country’s capacity to host complex multinational simulation exercises that test coordination, response, and recovery systems in a realistic setting.
He went on to commend the IADB and the Conference of Defence Ministers of the Americas for their leadership in shaping the initiative.
He also expressed deep appreciation to the CDC, the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, other Government Ministries, and local partners for their active participation and support—efforts he said would significantly contribute to building resilience in Guyana.
The PM further stated that Guyana acknowledges its risks, especially considering the vast impacts of climate change, and therefore must be ready for any unprecedented natural disasters.
“We, as a people, recognise that as our economic landscape changes, our risk profile evolves as well — especially considering the unprecedented impacts of climate change. Therefore, the potential for emerging threats from disasters, whether environmental, logistical, or security-related, requires us to expand our disaster preparedness thinking. We must be ready not only for natural hazards, such as flooding or storms, but also for complex, high-impact emergencies that may arise from industrial activities.”
Amidst this, he stressed that Guyana sees MECODEX not just as a single event, but as part of a long-term commitment to building capacity locally, regionally, and internationally. This includes investing in people and training, integrating advanced platforms like SICODE into national response mechanisms, and creating opportunities for knowledge exchange on topics ranging from oil sector contingency planning to climate resilience. These priorities, he added, align with Guyana’s national development strategy.
Meanwhile, Director General of the IADB Secretariat, Flavio de Oliveira Pinto highlighted some of the objectives of the four-day exercise.
“The simulation will focus on severe flooding, with the aim of assessing collective responses to large-scale emergencies. Over the next four days, we will review operational procedures such as the Disaster Cooperation System. What I am now promoting represents the future of international resilience and aims to optimise the response and management of resources in the face of both natural and man-made disasters. We seek to strengthen preparedness, coordination, and joint response capacity,” he stated.