The first meeting under the Italian Chairmanship of the Support Group of the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) was held on 5 September 2023. The meeting was chaired by the Permanent Representative of Italy to the United Nations and other International Organisations 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 Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) initiatives. In particular, Italy will focus on implementing the recommendations made during last May’s mid-term review of the Sendai Framework. Strengthening synergies between the Sendai Framework, the 2030 Agenda, the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and other multilateral policies is an extremely important issue for Italy, also considering its upcoming G7 Presidency. Furthermore, it will be crucial to integrate DRR issues in the different fora dealing with humanitarian crises, as well as in the area of development promotion, in order to ensure cooperation across different sectors and geographic areas.
During the meeting, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General, Mami Mizutori, presented the work programme for 2024-2025, which is aimed at promoting greater alignment with the Sendai Framework priorities, and thanked Italy for taking over the Chairmanship of the Support Group.
In addition, the Indian G20 Presidency summarised the activities carried out by the recently established working group on DRR, emphasising the need for dedicated funding for disaster prevention in order to minimise losses and strengthen response management capacities.
Many of the attending delegations expressed their appreciation for the priorities identified by the Italian Chairmanship, agreeing on the close interconnection between disaster risk reduction, climate change and the fight against economic and geographic inequalities.
