- Statements
The COVID-19 pandemic has constituted a global disaster and transformed our world by affecting millions of people. It has deepened our vulnerability and inequities, and undermined progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This process has been further exacerbated by developments including climate change, ecosystem degradation, nature and biodiversity loss.
These complex challenges have demonstrated how essential prevention and the risk reduction agenda is, and highlighted once again the urgency of implementing the Sendai Framework as an integral part of the 2030 Agenda. It is indeed critical to re-think our joint actions to managing risk, to build resilient systems and to transform our actions towards a more proactive, collaborative, inclusive, and prevention-focused approach.
We, as MIKTA countries, Mexico, Indonesia, the Republic of Korea, Türkiye and Australia, deem the Seventh Session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (GP2022) very timely in this regard. Despite many achievements, the pace and scale of action remains insufficient to achieve the Sendai Framework global targets. GP2022 will not only take stock of progress and challenges, but also highlight good practices to accelerate the implementation of the Framework, including “building back better” at local, national, regional and global levels. It will provide a new momentum for all stakeholders to reconfirm and advance their commitments in disaster risk reduction which is necessary more than ever in today’s world. Empowering women and persons with disabilities to publicly lead and promote gender equitable and universally accessible response, recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction approaches is key.
MIKTA countries have long been dedicated to efforts of disaster risk reduction and the cause of Sendai Framework. We have supported the process since the very beginning at both bilateral and multilateral levels by assuming proactive roles. In this regard, we commend the work of Indonesia, a fellow MIKTA country, as the host and Co-chair of the GP2022. We are equally pleased to conduct an advocacy campaign, initiated under Australia’s MIKTA Chairpersonship, in cooperation with the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) in the period leading up to GP2022. We also applaud the dedicated work of UNDRR under the leadership of Ms. Mami Mizutori, Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction.
MIKTA, since its launch in 2013, has been staunch supporter of multilateralism and international cooperation. In the midst of global challenges, this shared resolve has never been more important. On this score, as MIKTA countries, we reiterate our commitment to implementing the Sendai Framework including by investing in research, innovation, and infrastructure to strengthen environmental sustainability, adaptation, and resilience against the adverse effects of climate change and disaster risks, and call on all stakeholders to accelerate the implementation process.