·An overview of the disaster life cycle

·On a global, regional and national level, what are the socio-economic costs of natural disasters?

·The Millennium Development Goals: what are the threats posed to them by natural disasters?

·The international approach to disaster management, including the five Priority Actions outlined by the UN in the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005

·CARICOM Programme Framework 2005 -2015

·The Caribbean Comprehensive Disaster Management Strategy

·The CDERA Regional Telecommunications Plan

·SIDS POA

·Learning from history - recent trends in emergency telecommunications policy

·Example of disaster management policy – aim, effect, success

·Regulating and Legislating for the effective use of ICT in disaster management

·Hurricane Preparedness Using ICT

·How have regional regulatory bodies prepared for the continued operation of ICTs when disaster strikes?

·What strategies have been put in place to ensure the compliance of ICT operators in disaster situations?

·The Tampere Convention: what it is, its importance, and challenges related to its ratification and implementation

·Best practice in ICT deployment for disaster mitigation

·ICT legislation – Where are we and what needs to be done at the national, regional and international levels?

·Practical experiences in the application of the Tampere Convention by humanitarian actors during disasters. Tampere Convention; can it work in practice?

·How information providers help prevent and manage disasters through accurate and timely reporting

·The importance of continued satellite communications during a natural disaster

·The importance of mobile telephones when planning, reacting and relieving disasters

·What more can operators do to restrict the damage done by natural disasters?

·The importance of accurate reporting and the use of the use of the media in disaster mitigation

·What can we do to ensure that telecommunication operators understand their role in disaster management?

·Connecting and preparing the community for limiting the effect of a Disaster preparedness

·Education, education, education: civil society organisations educating citizens in disaster preparedness

·Drills and exercises: preparations, developing trust and creating a feedback loop in the community

·Linking organisations and telecommunications networks: the role of interoperability, information sharing and coordination

·Overcoming interoperability issues in the short term: enthusing stakeholders through:

·Examples of best practice in engaging the community for disaster preparation

·Information sharing and knowledge management, with so many potential parties involved how can this be organised?

·What can be done to increase interoperability now and in the future?

·The importance of Geographical Information Systems, and seismology

·The International Early Warning Programme (IEWP)

·The availability of sensor technology, information gathering and the problem of poor information management

·Disaster response: why sensors are key to development

·The importance of detailed situational awareness to enhance disaster mitigation

·The progress of the International Early Warning Programme (IEWP)

·The importance of balancing data gathering with good knowledge management

·The impediments to using ICT in relief efforts

·An NGO case study examining how the different ICT applications help the relief effort

·What key steps can be taken in the short term to remove the impediments to using ICTs in relief efforts?

·Best practice examples of ICT use in relief

·Backing up data and using GPS to remap the community

·What are the critical steps that must be taken when reconstructing devastated ICT infrastructure after disaster strikes?

· An NGO case study: how ICT has helped a community reconstruction after disaster struck

·Funding reconstruction efforts

·What are the recent technological changes that could be added to legacy telecommunications networks to reduce vulnerability? What action must be taken to enhance the coordination needed for reconstruction?