On 21 October 2020, the Organization of American States (OAS) General Assembly approved the resolution ‘Advancing Hemispheric Security: A Multidimensional Approach’. Within the framework of the Committee on Hemispheric Security (CSH), the General Assembly encouraged Member States to improve the protection of critical infrastructure against risk and to provide their strategies, policies, best practices, and…

On 23 July 2020, the Africa Working Group on Disaster Risk Reduction – DRR (AWGDRR) held a virtual one-day dialogue. Key deliberations included support for African countries to recover and build-back-better post covid-19 and other disasters affecting the continent in 2020, such as floods, droughts, locust invasion, and health-related epidemics. The action points resulting from…

On 10 November 2020, the ASEAN Declaration on the Strengthening of Adaptation to Drought was adopted. This declaration thereafter was commended at the 37th ASEAN Summit, which was held via video conference under the chairmanship of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam (Viet Nam) from 11 to 15 November 2020. It shows a paradigm shift…

The ‘4th Arab Partnership Meeting for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR)’ took place in Cairo, Egypt, on 9-10 December 2019. The Meeting took stock of progress in the implementation of the Sendai Framework in the MENA Region, especially the need to achieve “target E” by 2020. It addressed the demands to propose innovative solutions for the…

On 21 March 2019, Morocco adopted a Draft Decree that made it compulsory for all Moroccan citizens to subscribe natural and human-made disaster insurance.  The Decree established a Solidarity Fund against Catastrophic Events (FSEC) to cushion victims of natural disasters who would be unable to take out the compulsory disaster insurance.  The FSEC is funded…

In 2019, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) cooperated with several regional organizations in South America to support the development and implementation of regional disaster risk reduction strategies and plans. Such organizations include the Andean Committee for Disaster Prevention and Assistance of the Andean Community of Nations, and the Meeting of Ministers…