The first meeting under the Italian Chairmanship ship of the Support Group of the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) took place on September 5, 2023 in the Palais des Nations.
The session was chaired by the Permanent Representative of Italy to the United Nations and other international organizations in Geneva, Ambassador Vincenzo Grassi, who presented to the Member States the priorities of the Italian Chairmanship, aiming to ensure an active engagement on key issues in support of disaster risk reduction (DRR).
In particular, Italy will focus on the implementation of the recommendations of the Midterm Review of the Sendai Framework, which took place in May 2023. Strengthening synergies between the Sendai Framework, the 2030 Agenda, the Paris Agreement on climate change and other multilateral initiatives is an issue of great importance for Italy, also considering our upcoming G7 Presidency. Moreover, Italy will also work in promoting a growing cross-pillar collaboration within the humanitarian and development community, improving the South-South, North-South and Triangular Cooperation.
During the meeting, the Special Representative of the Secretary General, Ms. Mami Mizutori, presented the UNDRR work programme for 2024-2025, which ensures full alignment with the Sendai Framework priorities, and thanked Italy for taking over the Chairmanship of the Support Group.
For its part, the Indian G20 Presidency summarized the activities conducted by the recently established working group on DRR, emphasizing the need for tailored funding to prevention in order to minimize losses and strengthen response management capabilities.
Many delegations in the room expressed their appreciation for the Italian Chairmanship’s priorities, agreeing on the interconnection between DRR, the consequences of climate change and the contrast to economic and geographic inequalities.
