Bangkok--20 Mar--UNISBKK
Ministers to attend meeting at ESCAP 25-27 March 2009
Bangkok (United Nations/ESCAP Information Services) — Countries from across Asia and the Pacific - the most disaster-prone region in the world - are gathering in Bangkok next week to discuss a disaster risk reduction strategy for the region.
The more than 180 delegates, among them 10 ministers, from 25 countries are attending the first session of the Committee on Disaster Risk Reduction of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), 25-27 March 2009.
The Asia-Pacific region is particularly disaster prone, experiencing 42 per cent of the world’s natural disasters, with a disproportionate 65 per cent of its victims. To facilitate the development of collaborative solutions in the region, member countries decided to establish the Committee on Disaster Risk Reduction at ESCAP’s annual meeting last year.
Noeleen Heyzer, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of ESCAP, and Chaovarat Chanweerakul, Minister of Interior of Thailand, will inaugurate the meeting.
As part of the Committee session, a high-level round table will be held on 25 March for exchange of knowledge and experiences among the participants of disaster risk reduction and their implications for inclusive economic and social development.
Participants at the round table will include ministers and senior officials responsible for disaster management China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Marshall Islands, Myanmar, Pakistan, Republic of Korea and Thailand.
The Director of United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction and senior officials from over 28 international organizations, non-governmental organizations and other entities will also be attending the event.
Members of the press are invited to attend the meeting, taking place 25-27 March at the United Nations Conference Centre, Rajademnern Nok Avenue, Bangkok. The opening ceremony will begin at 09:15 hrs on 25 March.
For more information, please visit www.unescap.org/icstd/cdrr/2009/ or contact:
Mr. Zengpei Xuan, Director, Information and Communication Technology and Disaster Risk Reduction, ESCAP, Tel: (66) 2288 1466, Email: [email protected]
Ms. Ying Qiu, Associate Economic Affairs Officer, Information and Communication Technology and Disaster Risk Reduction, ESCAP, Tel: (66) 2288 2431, Email: [email protected], [email protected]
Mr. Bentley Jenson, UN Information Services (UNIS), ESCAP, Tel: (66) 2 288 1869, Mobile: (66) 84 080 5025, Email: [email protected] and [email protected]