HomeNewsHumanitarian NewsStatement by Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič at the Asia Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction

Statement by Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič at the Asia Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction

  • October 15, 2024
  • Posted by: humanitarianweb
  • Category: Humanitarian News
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Sources: EC, ECHO
Posted:

Excellencies,

Ladies and gentlemen,

I am honoured to be part of this Ministerial meeting. I would like to thank UNDRR and the government of Philippines for the invitation.

The Asia-Pacific region is the most disaster-prone in the world.

In just the last few weeks, we have witnessed the devastating impact of Typhoon Yagi, the strongest storm to affect Southeast Asia in decades. My thoughts are with the families who lost their loved ones during this disaster.

In the aftermath of disasters like this one, it may be easy to give in to desperation and helplessness. However, yet again this region has demonstrated remarkable resilience.

That’s why we are gathered here today.

To build on this strength and advance together towards the objectives of the Sendai Framework.

Working on improving preparedness on the ground.

Growing awareness within communities.

And building local-level resilience.

I proud to say that the EU is acting to make this a reality in this region.

Investing over 85 million euros[1] in disaster preparedness in Asia and the Pacific since 2020.

This includes multiple Disaster Preparedness initiatives with regional perspectives and country-level activities, including here in the Philippines.

And as the challenges we are discussing are universal, it is vital that we learn from each other by sharing best practices and lessons learnt.

That is why tomorrow I am flying to Jakarta to sign an Administrative Arrangement to strengthen our already longstanding EU-ASEAN partnership on disaster preparedness and response.

Climate-induced disasters do not respect boundaries – and so neither should our cooperation.

As many of you know, my mandate as Commissioner for Crisis Management is drawing to a close. As I look back at these past five years, I have witnessed far too many disasters, but also incredible examples of resilience and efforts to build back better.

To conclude: the risk of disasters may be high. But this region’s vulnerability does not determine its destiny. Together, we can forge a more sustainable and resilient future across the Asia-Pacific region and beyond.

Thank you.