This press release from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) along with the Commonwealth Telecommunication Organization (CTO) summarises a three-day Caribbean-focused forum on "Using ICT for Effective Disaster Management". It lists the steps needed for better emergency coordination through the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) for improved disaster preparedness and mitigation, including:

• formulation of appropriate policies;
• deployment of appropriate technologies;
• ratification and implementation of the Tampere Convention for free movement of technical equipment in case of disaster;
• capacity building for users of ICT services and applications;
• establishment of national platforms that help countries to be ready to use ICT when disasters strike; and
• development of common regional strategies on integrating ICT in all phases of disaster mitigation: early warning, preparedness, response, and relief.

The forum produced strategies on intra-agency communications in multi-national settings and early-warning communication and disaster preparedness using ICT and media broadcasting, as well as development of public information tools. These include a publicly accessible website containing real-time disaster monitoring information. To support the project’s engagement of policy-makers, the opening session speaker suggested implementation of a regional database of survey results and findings for selected disaster events.

Following the hurricane seasons in 2004 and 2005, which, as stated here, resulted in a record number of storms in the Caribbean with a record amount of destruction in economic terms, the forum concluded that there was "an urgent need to establish effective and comprehensive communication links between the affected area, national disaster response facilities, and... the larger international community. This is particularly important for countries with fragile economies and countries with special needs..." In focusing attention on emergency telecommunications in least developed countries (LDCs) and small island developing states (SIDS), the forum recognised the Doha Action Plan for initiating emergency telecommunications readiness, including deployments of satellite terminals in emergencies. According to this document, the forum provided a platform to exchange ideas and facilitate the development of a regional road map for improving the use of ICT in disaster management by bringing together government and telecommunications industry regulatory officials, as well as private sector organisations, donor groups, and regional and intergovernmental disaster management agencies.