Since 2009, CDEMA’s mandate has expanded to position the regional disaster management body more strategically to fully take up its role as facilitator, driver, coordinator and motivating force for the promotion and engineering of Comprehensive Disaster Management (CDM) in all Participating States.

CDEMA’s functions are as follows:

1. mobilising and coordinating disaster relief;
2. mitigating or eliminating, as far as practicable, the immediate consequences of
   disasters in Participating States;
3. providing immediate and coordinated response by means of emergency disaster
   relief to any affected Participating State;
4. securing, coordinating and providing to interested inter-governmental and non- governmental organisations reliable and comprehensive information on disasters affecting any Participating State;
5. encouraging –
   (i) the adoption of disaster loss reduction and mitigation policies and practices at the national and regional level;
   (ii) cooperative arrangements and mechanisms to facilitate the development of a culture of disaster loss reduction; and
6. coordinating the establishment, enhancement and maintenance of adequate emergency disaster response capabilities among the Participating States.

CDEMA governance mechanism supports the principles of Comprehensive Disaster Management within the context of broad stakeholder participation, whilst ensuring that the roles and responsibilities of the various organs are clearly defined for enhanced accountability and transparency in the areas of decision making.

CDEMA is governed through the Council, a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) and the Coordinating Unit.

• THE COUNCIL
  The Council comprises the Heads of Government of the Participating States or their nominees and determine the policies of CDEMA.
• TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE
  The Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) is the technical and programmatic advisory arm of the CDEMA. This organ of CDEMA recognizes the integrated approach to disaster management and the pivotal role of stakeholder contribution to the programming process of the CDM Agenda.
  
  The TAC comprise of the National Disaster Coordinators and representatives of specialized regional organizations, such as those engaged in technological, meteorological and seismological fields whose programmes are directly related to the regional disaster management agenda.
  There are four (4) Sub-Committees of TAC :
  - Information Communications Systems Advisory Sub-Committee (ICSAC);
  - Plan Development and Review Sub-Committee;
  - Climate Change, Disaster Risk Reduction and Environment Sub-Committee;
  - Work Programme Development and Review Sub-Committee
• THE COORDINATING UNIT
  The Coordinating Unit is managed by an Executive Director who is appointed by the Council.
  
  The Coordinating Unit functions within a framework that fully embraces CDM and deals with longer-term mitigation issues. As such, the responsibilities and operating functions of the CDEMA Coordinating Unit is centered primarily around four (4) programming areas, namely:
  1. education, research and information;
  2. finance and administration;
  3. preparedness and response; and
  4. mitigation and research
  
  The Council also has the power to add other programming areas.

"Managing Disasters with Preparedness"

The motto of the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency encapsulates the nature and work of this disaster management organisation which serves the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).

This regional inter-governmental agency established in September 1991 by an Agreement of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM to be responsible for disaster management. There are presently sixteen Participating States? within CDERA’s membership.
Functions

CDERA's main function is to make an immediate and coordinated response to any disastrous event affecting any Participating State, once the state requests such assistance. CDERA has since transformed to CDEMA

Other functions include:
* Securing, collating and channeling to interested governmental and non-governmental organizations, comprehensive and reliable information on disasters? affecting the region;
* Mitigating or eliminating as far as possible, the consequences of disasters affecting Participating States.

* Establishing and maintaining on a sustainable basis, adequate disaster response capabilities among Participating States; and,
* Mobilizing and coordinating disaster relief from governmental and non-governmental organizations for affected Participating States.