Attended by 58 ministries and public agencies as well as international and domestic humanitarian organizations, the presentation was a milestone, in that it involved the first study of its kind conducted by a National Society in Asia.
The Minister of Home Affairs, Mr Bhim Rawal, observed in his opening statement that the government is currently developing a draft Disaster Management Act, and that recommendations from the report would be assessed with a view to inclusion in the draft Act.
Mr. Robert Piper, UN Resident Coordinator to Nepal, stated in his opening remarks that, given the ongoing legislative process and other DM discussions taking place, the draft report had arrived at a very appropriate time.
The presentation of the report was followed by detailed discussions on different legislative issues raised in the report. Building on these comments and pending written suggestions from some departments, the NRCS plans to finalize the report shortly.
Joint Secretary Shankar Koraila, Ministry of Home Affairs, who played an active role in the discussions, characterized in his closing remarks the workshop as a very valuable consultation process, which will culminate with his presentation of the final report to the National Disaster Relief Committee.