Europe and Central Asia Member State dialogue: Sharing experiences and strategies for a transition to resilience

This dialogue aims to explore how Member States have been dealing with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis by sharing experiences, challenges and lessons learned with peers. Taking place on 6th May, this dialogue would remain timely, allowing countries to apply best practices learnt from the ongoing COVID19 response, and to start preparing for its cascading effects including any potential second wave.

The participants are the National Sendai Framework Focal Point Ministry’s covering from Europe and the Central Asian region, and IHR Focal Points from the Ministries of Health in Europe and the Central Asian region. The dialogue would be organized on ‘ZOOM’ virtual platform allowing all Member States to join.

Key areas to be discussed are:

1. What are the major prevention and risk reduction measures that worked (including regional, trans-boundary and local-level cooperation), which can be taken into consideration in case there is another wave.

2. How the Member States can better communicate and join efforts for ensuring a coordinated reduction of pandemic risk and response to it? (e.g Data sharing platform).

3. What are the and long term measures that need to be taken to reduce the socio-economic impact?

4. What needs to be done to better anticipate future pandemic risk and possible implications? What needs to be done to strengthen the capacities of governments and communities to tackle a second wave or another similar emergency? (e.g (DRR strategy assessment, Stress Testing socio-economic sectors)

5. What are the exit strategies that allow us to recover and build back better?