News

The British Royal Navy and local authorities now stand ready to respond rapidly together to a storm sweeping through Montserrat after completing a major disaster relief rehearsal. Patrol ship HMS Trent is currently on station in the Caribbean, providing reassurance to British Overseas Territories during the region’s hurricane season. Their most recent stop during their island-hopping mission was to Montserrat for an intensive programme of collaborative training, demonstrations and engagements with the Disaster Management Coordination Agency (DMCA), Royal Montserrat Defence Force (RMDF) and Royal Montserrat Police Service (RMPS). The visit focused on sharing expertise, exchanging skills and providing opportunities for local responders and Royal Navy personnel to practice working together ahead of any future emergency, ensuring everyone is better prepared to coordinate their efforts during hurricane season and other potential crises. Lieutenant Colonel Alvin Ryan, Head of the DMCA and CO of the RMDF, said that working with HMS Trent has been a valuable opportunity to strengthen relationships, share expertise, and improve the island’s collective preparedness. He reassures that these activities help ensure that Montserrat’s emergency response community is prepared to work together and support the island during times of crisis. A central activity of the visit was a multi-agency tabletop exercise led by HMS Trent personnel and attended by representatives from the Her Excellency the Governor’s Office, DMCA, RMDF, RMPS, Port Authority, Fire and Rescue Service, and Department of Public Works. The exercise explored how agencies would work together during a major incident, improving understanding of each organization’s capabilities, responsibilities and decision-making processes. Surgeon Lieutenant Georgia Davies, HMS Trent’s Doctor who led the multi-agency tabletop exercise, said that effective emergency response starts long before a crisis occurs. She adds that this exercise strengthened coordination between Montserrat’s local agencies and HMS Trent, building on local expertise and ensuring they can work together effectively when needed. Colonel Davies states that whether facing hurricanes, volcanic activity or other emergencies, their role is to support and complement the island’s own response capabilities. HMS Trent also showcased specialist capabilities that could support disaster response operations. Personnel from 700X Naval Air Squadron conducted a demonstration of the Malloy quadcopter drone, flying supplies from ship to shore to illustrate how uncrewed systems could quickly deliver essential stores when roads, ports or other infrastructure are damaged or inaccessible. A Puma UAS was also flown around the Soufrière Hills Volcano, demonstrating how aerial reconnaissance can help emergency responders assess damage, identify hazards and build situational awareness following a major natural disaster. Lieutenant Charles Harper, commander of Scout Flight 700X NAS, said that Montserrat faces a unique range of hazards from severe weather to volcanic eruptions. He explains that through the UAS demonstration, they have been able to show how UAS can support responders by rapidly gathering information and delivering supplies when access is limited or infrastructure is damaged. Alongside these demonstrations, 24 Commando Royal Engineers’ Crisis Response Troop (CRT) worked with the Royal Montserrat Defence Force (RMDF) to share skills relevant to disaster response and resilience. Royal Marines from 47 Commando Maritime Interdiction Operations also trained with the RMPS Marine Unit, strengthening interoperability and professional relationships. The ship’s company also visited the Montserrat Volcano Observatory to gain a greater understanding of one of the island’s most significant natural hazards. The visit provided valuable insight into the monitoring of the active Soufrière Hills Volcano and the challenges faced by those responsible for safeguarding the community.

The Government of Montserrat is working to advance digital transformation, with a focus on strengthening data protection and improving digital public services here. The issues were highlighted during a workshop hosted by the Office of the Premier in collaboration with the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States, from October 19 to 21 at the Brades Arts and Education Centre. Associate Economic Affairs Officer at the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean- UNECLAC, Demetris Herkleous, said the workshop provides an opportunity to move from policy frameworks to practical implementation, helping Montserrat build the institutional capacity needed to deliver more effective digital services. He noted that Montserrat’s experience could also serve as a model for other small island developing states facing similar challenges, explaining that Montserrat represents a unique and instructive example for the Caribbean, “being among the smallest economies in our region and it has shown a remarkable resilience in rebuilding after the volcanic crisis that reshaped the island and its people. At the same time, it faces in particularly concentrated form the structural challenges shared by small island developing states across the Caribbean.” He noted “the limited scale, constrained specialized capacity, dependence on external infrastructure and service providers, and high exposure to natural hazards and external shocks. For this reason, every step that Montserrat takes forward carries significance well beyond shores.” Herkleous that where as Montserrat demonstrates that a small state can establish trusted data protection,  sound framework for artificial intelligence and effective digital public services, as well as a robust digital economy framework, it offers the wider Caribbean and small island developing states globally a practical model. “More than everything, it offers a source of confidence. This workshop takes place within a broad international framework. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Global Digital Compact, and the Adigola and Barbuda Agenda for Small Island Developing States all recognize that digital transformation must be rights-based and grounded in trust, and that no country should be left behind in the digital age.” He went on to say that “at the regional level, these commitments are advanced through ILAC, the Digital Agenda for Latin America and the Caribbean. In December, in Brazil, the biannual ministerial conference of ILAC will take place, where the ministers and the governments from Latin America and the Caribbean are coming together, and they are jointly designing the Digital Agenda for the whole region for the next two years. Robust legislation is essential, but its value is realized only when it translates into institutional capacity, public services, and tangible benefits for citizens.”