Pakistan hosts conference on disaster management CBMs

Islamabad
Pakistan, as a co-lead with Kazakhstan, hosted the 4th Regional Technical Group Meeting on Disaster Management Confidence Building Measures (DM-CBMs) under Heart of Asia (HOA), Istanbul, process here on Tuesday.
The meeting was organised by NDMA in collaboration with UNDP, Pakistan.n Adviser to the Prime Minister on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz was the chief guest at the opening session.
Sartaj Aziz commended NDMA for its efforts and appreciated the participants for the progress made under the HOA, Istanbul, process. He opined that DM-CBM under HoA will further facilitate the member countries to strengthen their disaster management system as well as to share and learn from each other's experiences in the disaster management for a meaningful response against effects of global climate change.
The participants of the meeting included technical focal persons from ‘Heart of Asia’ participating states i.e., Afghanistan, China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan and Turkey.
Representatives from supporting countries including Sweden, Denmark, France, Japan, Norway, United Kingdom and the United States of America besides delegates from international and regional organisations including United Nations, the World Bank, EU, UNESCAP, ADB, ADPC also attended the meeting.
NDMA Chairman Major General Asghar Nawaz welcomed the participants and reiterated Pakistan's commitment to carry forward the CBM process in a proactive manner.
The Fourth Regional Technical Group Meeting (RTG-4) was organised with the main purpose to underscore the need of developing a regional, long term, step by step approach for disaster risk management and to provide a platform to all member countries to make deliberations and approve Road Map for HOA DM-CBM to strive for measures to prevent and manage the effects of natural disasters for further successful trans-border cooperation. The meeting reviewed the progress achieved so far under Disaster Management-CBMs and Road Map for HoA. Based on the consolidated inputs from all HoA countries the road map of HoA (DM-CBM) was finalised setting the DRR priorities for next 12 months. Pakistan's lead role in pursuance of 4th RTG Meeting was very well received by all stakeholders.
The recommendations of the meeting will provide a very useful input for the ministerial conference of HOA member countries scheduled to be held in Pakistan in December this year.