Bohol, Philippines, 18 June 2018 – This week, the Philippines organizes the Regional Workshop on Disaster Risk Reduction, Preparedness and Disaster Displacement from 19 to 22 June 2018, bringing together more than 60 government officials and experts from the Philippines, Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and Timor Leste. as well as international partners, to inspire collaboration on strengthening resilience on three cross-cutting themes: (1) community resilience; (2) disaster displacement; and, (3) use of science, technology and innovation on disaster risk reduction (DRR).
“Our hosting of this regional workshop demonstrates the Philippines’ strong commitment to contribute meaningfully to global discussions on DRR, particularly in light of the country’s international leadership in DRR, human mobility and climate change agendas. This is a collaborative effort in line with a whole-of-government approach of the Philippine Government,” said Acting Assistant Secretary Noralyn J. Baja of the Department of Foreign Affairs Office of the United Nations and other International Organizations (UNIO).
Other government agencies involved in organizing the workshop are the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and the Provincial Government of Bohol. Further enriching this regional workshop and dialogue is the support of international partners – the Platform on Disaster Displacement (PDD) and the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) as well as the governments of Germany and Switzerland.
The workshop attests to the Philippines’ commitment to the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) 2015-2030 and to supporting other States and stakeholders in doing so.