For three days in December, governments from the Asia Pacific region gathered in Kuala Lumpur to discuss progress towards the objectives of the Hyogo Framework for Action on Disaster Risk Reduction.
The overarching theme of the conference was ‘Multi-stakeholder Partnership for Disaster Risk Reduction in the Asia and Pacific Region’, with a focus on public-private partnerships and community-based disaster risk reduction activities. Participation by over 30 representatives from National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the IFRC, led by Australian Red Cross Chairman and Federation Governing Board Member Mr. Greg Vickery, ensured a strong Red Cross Red Crescent presence.
The need to develop and strengthen legal frameworks for disaster risk reduction was a cross-cutting theme throughout the conference, highlighted in Mr. Vickery’s official statement to the conference and also in a presentation during the Federation’s side-event from the IDRL Asia Pacific Unit on legal preparedness for risk reduction and international cooperation.
On the last day, the conference adopted a final Declaration which not only acknowledged the important contribution of National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to disaster risk reduction but also made several references to the development of legal and policy frameworks and emphasised the need for “strengthening legal preparedness for international disaster cooperation, in particular through the promotion and use of relevant guidelines.”