Ministers and delegates at the closing ceremony for the 2018 Sub-Regional Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction for Central Asian and South Caucasus

By Rosalind Cook

YEREVAN, 29 June 2018 – Delegates at the 2018 Sub-Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction for Central Asian and South Caucasus have adopted the Yerevan Declaration calling for increased regional cooperation.

Speaking at the closing ceremony, Minister Rostomyan of the Ministry of Emergency Situations in Armenia welcomed the declaration saying, “The platform has given us all positive workloads. I urge everyone to achieve new results in the implementation of the Sendai [Framework], in order to enhance the welfare and resilience of our countries and, of course, strengthen ties between [us].”

Paola Albrito, Chief of the Regional Office for Europe for UNISDR, paid tribute to the warm hospitality of Armenia in hosting the event and underlined the importance of taking the commitments forward to achieve a culture of resilience.

The platform was attended by more than 200 high-ranking officials from Central Asia and the South Caucasus, mayors, major private companies, international humanitarian organizations and civil society representatives as well as delegates from around the world including Mexico, Japan, Italy and Switzerland.

Across the two-day event, participants showcased the significant progress made since the last gathering in 2016 in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. All countries have starting reporting under the monitoring system for meeting the Sendai Framework targets – the global plan for reducing disaster losses. They have also all progressed towards including disasters risk reduction into their emergency management plans or as dedicated strategies, marking an important achievement.