By Brigitte Leoni

CARTAGENA, 19 June, 2018- Representatives of eight national institutes of statistics in the Americas continue to meet today in Cartagena, Colombia, to discuss better ways to work together to collect data and statistics to monitor progress on reducing disaster losses as outlined in the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.

The data is essential to monitoring progress against the Sendai Framework’s seven targets including reducing mortality, reducing the numbers of people affected by disasters, reducing economic losses and damage to critical infrastructure.

The data is to be uploaded to the online Sendai Framework Monitor launched in March, 2018, and is defined by 38 indicators linked to the seven targets.

“The meeting held in Cartagena before the official opening tomorrow of the sixth Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction in the Americas is the first of its kind to gather national institutes of statistics and will be very important to help countries to establish and refine their disaster national plans,” said Raul Salazar, Head of the UN office for Disaster Risk Reduction in Panama.

The informal meeting will identify gaps and challenges that will need to be addressed to achieve the best collaboration between national entities and sectors involved in collecting data to support the Sendai Monitoring Framework.