hri Kiren Rijiju to lead Indian delegation to the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (GPDRR) to be held at Cancun, Mexico

A high level Indian delegation headed by Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Shri Kiren Rijiju is leaving today for participating in the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (GPDRR) to be held at Cancun, Mexico from May 22-26, 2017. More than 5,000 delegates, including Heads of State, Ministers, CEOs, disaster experts, volunteers, representatives from science and technology sectors and academia are expected to gather in Cancun.

GPDRR is a global forum for strategic advice, coordination, partnership development and review of progress in the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR) 2015-2030 which was adopted at the 3rd UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction held in March, 2015 in Sendai, Japan. This will mark the first opportunity since 2015 that global leaders and stakeholders in disaster risk reduction will meet for the international community to review global progress in the implementation of SFDRR. It will also provide a platform for all stakeholders to galvanize their efforts in sustainable development and climate change adaptation, sharing of experiences, discussing innovative solutions, and charting out the course for an integrated approach at the international, regional, national and local levels.

Apart from presenting the Country Statement on May 24, 2017, Shri Kiren Rijiju, the UN Designated Disaster Risk Reduction Champion for Asia Region, will also co-chair the Plenary Session on “National and Local Disaster Risk Reduction Strategies: Pave the way for Action by All” on May 25, 2017. He will also participate in Leaders Forum, besides leading various bilateral meetings. He will also release the NDMA guidelines on protection of museums.

During various sessions the Indian delegation will highlight initiatives taken by the Government of India in disaster risk reduction including the outcomes of the Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (AMCDRR), held at New Delhi in November, 2016 and National Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (NPDRR) held at New Delhi in May 2017. Dr. P K Mishra, Additional Principal Secretary to the PM and Shri Kamal Kishore, Member, NDMA will be the speakers for the working sessions “Ensuring Risk-Resilient Critical Infrastructure” on 24.05.2017 and “Sendai Framework Prototype Consultation” on 24.05.2017 respectively.

Other members of the delegation are Dr. V. Thiruppugazh, Joint Secretary, NDMA, Shri Sanjeev Jindal, Joint Secretary, MHA and Prof. Santosh Kumar, Executive Director, National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM).