Public and private sectors of Colombia unite in alliance for a more Resilient country

Source: Colombian Safety Council

Edited by: UNDRR – The Americas

Bogota, Colombia; 11 September de 2015 -  With the objective of coordinating actions, efforts, capacities and knowledge to build the resilience of institutions, businesses and communities under the National System for Disaster Risk Management, the “Articulation of the Private Sector on Disaster Risk Management” publication was launched.

Prevention and preparedness for emergency response have been included in business management through emergency and contingency plans, and the respective coordination with local authorities has been an ongoing issue since the establishment of the National Risk Management Policy, providing an impetus for the formalization of the experiences and the development of joint public-private initiatives.

According to Renan Alfonso Rojas Gutiérrez, CEO of the Colombian Safety Council, "the collection of experiences seeks to provide a development framework for investments in the sector with regard to risk management, introducing replicable experiences or providing a framework of good practices that can be applied to a condition or scenario based on the environment in which each business develops.

"Although we are aware that these are not all the initiatives that are being developed in the country, they are a clear example of the efforts that have been developed by the sector, and those which we expect to have a significant momentum as the implementation of the National Risk Management Policy progresses, especially in the area of articulation with other entities of the National System,” said Rojas Gutiérrez.

The launch ceremony was accompanied by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), represented by Raul Salazar, Regional Officer; who stressed: “The losses caused by floods between 2011 and 2012 in Colombia which affected most of the territory, are examples of the challenge of national governments in managing the response individually, which is why the role of the business sector is key to reducing the risk of existing disasters, and prevent new risk from being generated during the planning of new investments.”

This publication is the result of the first call for risk management experiences in the private sector, an initiative of the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGDR), the National Association of Colombian Industry (ANDI), the Colombian Safety Council and Responsible Care® Colombia, with the support of the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance - United States Agency for International Development (USAID/OFDA).

It is important to note that the search focused on innovative experiences with a significant impact on the community, that are sustainable and that can be replicated or expanded nationwide. As a result, the experiences chosen were managed with communities and local authorities; from business groups managing their risks collectively; and implemented programmes or initiatives that seek national coverage on the issue.

Related links:

Document “Articulation of the Private Sector on Disaster Risk Management”

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