UN trains 35 trainers in Disaster Risk Reduction planning

PANAMA, Panama, 16 December, 2016 - Thirty-five professionals in disaster risk management from 16 countries of the Americas successfully completed their training in structuring disaster risk reduction plans within the framework of the international programme promoted by the Global Education and Training Institute (GETI), the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) training body.

Among the global targets of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 is to significantly increase the number of countries with national and local disaster risk reduction strategies by 2020, with an expected increase in the regional demand for specialized technical training, such as the training provided by this intensive 35-hour programme.

Participants received their accreditation as trainers from Mr. Ricardo Mena, Head of the UNDRR Regional Office for the Americas, who acknowledged their dedication and commitment and stressed that “having such a high-level group of trainers is a key opportunity for the region to disseminate and implement the disaster risk reduction model and the building of resilience as key pillars for achieving sustainable development as provided in the Sendai Framework.”

For his part, Rear Admiral Julio Pflucker Yépez, Secretary of Disaster Risk Management –Presidency of the Council of Ministers of Peru, referred to the workshop as “an enriching experience that provides in-depth knowledge of the tools that will allow us to replicate In our own national realities the methodology for the implementation of local, national and private sector plans in line with the Sendai Framework.”

In turn, Dr. Bélgica Miguelina Tactuk, Director of the National School of Risk Management - National Emergency Commission of the Dominican Republic, stressed that the incorporation of the methodology of the workshop offers “a perfect opportunity to raise awareness and develop the capacities and competencies of decision-makers at different levels as well as accompany the actors of the territory in the elaboration of their respective Risk Reduction Plans and towards sustainable development through the National School of Risk Management.

In the same vein, Víctor García, President of the Latin American and Caribbean University Network for Disaster Risk Reduction (REDULAC/DDR) referred to REDULAC's participation in the Workshop as fundamental to define its future academic offer and to reformulate the Regional Campaign of Resilient Universities, in addition to having strengthened this network and its alliances with other sectors.

Finally, Alexander Mirescu, Advocate of the Global Campaign “Making Cities Resilient” in the United States of America added that “given the intensification of the most common natural hazards in several states of the American Union such as New York and New Jersey, more and more municipalities are increasintly looking for new mechanisms to reduce their exposure and vulnerability, and therefore express their interest in training on current issues such as that provided in this Workshop, in order to strengthen their resilience. “

The Regional Workshop “Implementing the Sendai Framework: Formulation of Disaster Risk Reduction Plans” was made possible through the support of the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance - USAID/OFDA), The European Commission - Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection (ECHO) and UNDRR - GETI, and the work of six international facilitators.

Related links

UNDRR – GETI

Photos of the Training Workshop

UNDRR  - The Americas