RIO DE JANEIRO: The National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA) has participated in the second meeting of the G20 Working Group on Disaster Risk Reduction, held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Fahad Butti Al Muhairi Director of the Safety and Prevention Department at NCEMA, led the UAE delegation at the meeting, which included technical workshops focusing on six main priorities: combating inequality and reducing vulnerabilities, achieving global coverage for early warning systems, developing climate-resilient infrastructure, financing strategies for disaster risk reduction, recovery and reconstruction from disasters, and providing nature-based solutions and environmental approaches to disaster risk reduction.
The meeting featured key sessions, including the review of the draft ministerial statement of the working group, which is expected to be adopted at the ministerial meeting scheduled for November 2024 in Belem, Brazil.
The Brazilian side presented an initiative to establish a knowled
ge platform for G20 countries to exchange experiences related to the group’s six priorities. The UAE participated in a session with the Brazilian side, showcasing its pioneering model in leading media messaging during wide-scale crises.
On the sidelines of the participation, a bilateral meeting was held, attended by Wolnei Wolff, National Secretary for Civil Defense and Protection in Brazil.
The meeting discussed several topics, including the exchange of expertise through the provision of technical workshops at the next meeting scheduled for October. An invitation was extended to the Federative Republic of Brazil to participate in the Crisis and Emergency Management Summit.
The Brazilian side expressed significant interest in enhancing cooperation with the UAE in the fields of emergency, crisis, and disaster management. They noted that Brazil, which shares an administrative structure and demographic diversity with the UAE, as well as the risks it faces, represents an important opportunity to learn from pra
ctices and exchange real-world experiences.
Ali Rashid Al Neyadi, Director-General of NCEMA, highlighted the importance of participating in these international meetings, stressing that international cooperation is a fundamental pillar for enhancing national capabilities in emergency and crisis management, and for benefiting from the experiences of other countries to achieve higher levels of readiness and response.
The participants concluded with an emphasis on the importance of strengthening the UAE’s presence, particularly the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority, in the activities of the G20 Working Group on Disaster Risk Reduction. There was an emphasis on participating in the knowledge platform under the third priority, ‘climate and disaster-resilient infrastructure,’ by showcasing the UAE’s experience in the national standard for the Business Continuity Management System and the overall framework for the security and resilience of critical infrastructure.
The parties agreed to c
ontinue cooperation and the exchange of expertise in the fields of emergency, crisis, and disaster management, especially in light of Brazil’s experience in dealing with severe weather conditions faced by the state of Rio Grande do Sul.
The UAE is participating as a guest in the G20 Summit 2024, chaired by the Federative Republic of Brazil, for the third consecutive time, following invitations from the Indian presidency in 2023 and the Indonesian presidency in 2022.
The UAE also participated in the G20 Summit in 2020 under the Saudi presidency and in 2011 under the French presidency.
Source: Emirates News Agency
