The ISDR Asia Partnership, an informal multi-stakeholder forum with the role to facilitate implementation of Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) in the Asia region. The IAP launched in 2004 and subsequently expanded in 2007 including regional intergovernmental organisations, governments, civil society organisations, UN and international organisations, bilateral and multilateral donors. Since 2007, the IAP has emerged as the support mechanism for the Asia Regional Platform for DRR and has been meeting twice a year.
The fundamental role of the IAP has been (i) to support the political leadership of the regional platform through series of Asia Ministerial Conferences (AMC-DRR); (ii) to support the biennial HFA progress review that includes national and regional progress monitoring and monitoring the implementation of the joint regional action plans and recommendations from AMC-DRR and (iii) to improve regional coordination and coherence through regional experience sharing.
The first ISDR Asia Partnership (IAP) meeting for the year 2012 is held on 9-11 April 2012 in Bali, Indonesia. The meeting is organised in collaboration with the Indonesian National Board for Disaster Management, Government of Indonesia.
Participants are mainly from IAP members including representatives of 16 countries: Bhutan, Bangladesh, Brunei, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Timor Leste, Sri Lanka, Viet Nam (a representative from Disaster Management Center) and representatives of 23 other organisations including SOPAC, ASEAN Secretariat, AIFDR, ECHO, USAID, ADPC, ADRC, ASB Indonesia, Church World Service, IFRC, Plan International, Save the Children, ADRRN, UNICEF, UNOCHA, UNOPS, UNISDR and the World Bank.
The meeting has three main objectives: (i) to consult on the preparation and design of the 5th Asia Ministerial Conference for DRR (22-25 October, Yogyakarta, Indonesia); (ii) to roll-out the HFA progress review for the biennium 2011-2013; (iii) to share updates and experiences from countries and regional partners and (iv) to initiate the discussion on the design of the Post HFA framework.
The meeting starts with an update on Incheon-REMAP implementation. It is then followed by an update on the 5th AMCDRR preparation which addresses “Strengthening local capacity for disaster risk reduction” as the overarching theme of the forthcoming 5th AMCDRR. This chosen theme is in alignment with the theme promoted for the 3rd Session of Global Platform for Disaster Reduction 2011 which underlines the importance of greater investment in local DRR implementation for a safer future.
Indonesia also then proposes three sub-themes for the forthcoming Minister’s Conference including (i) integrating local level disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation into national development; (ii) local risk assessment and financing and (iii) strengthening local risk governance and partnership. Background studies for each sub theme are also presented at the meeting for the discussion. Afterwards, the meeting has a series of presentations from different countries and organisations on the conference outcome and structure of the Conference.
UNISDR is now launching the 2011-2013 HFA progress review which is following a review of the previous 2009-2011 cycle and consultation with key inter-governmental regional organisations. The meeting then also looks at 2011-2013 HFA progress review, key milestones for sharing the “Interim” national report as all country information will contribute to regional and global assessment reports.
Finally, the meeting discusses about what should be addressed for Post HFA Framework and maps out main events to 2015 after having a look at the background information on trends, progress and challenges for disaster risk reduction for the last few years.