Hungary National Platform

History

The Hungarian National Platform for Disaster Reduction within the ISDR-System was established in 2001. Since then it has been working within the unified national disaster management, which had been created as a consequence of a reorganization of the Hungarian disaster management system in 1999. The Hungarian platform is now working under the National Directorate General for Disaster Management (NDGDM).

Structure

As mentioned above the Hungarian national platform for disaster risk reduction is an initiative of the National Directorate General for Disaster Management (NDGDM). It is not an individual body, so it does not have its own budget either. Thus, the position of the President of the platform is taken by the Director General of NDGDM. Furthermore the Secretary of the platform as well as other positions are filled by heads of NDGDM as well. The members of the platform are drawn from different parts of society:

1. Governmental organizations: Ministry of the Interior, Ministry of National Development, Ministry of National Resources, Ministry for National Economy, Ministry of Rural Development, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Justice and Public Administration
2. Non-governmental organizations: Hungarian Red Cross, Association of Hungarian Local Governments, Hungarian Baptist Aid
3. Science institutions: Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Eötvös Lóránd University
4. Media: Hungarian News Agency (MTI)
5. Private sector organizations: Budapest Chemical Works Ltd., Association of Hungarian Insurance Companies, Mol Ltd

Activities

Currently almost thirty members participate in the general platform, which takes place yearly. Aim of the platform is to convene a joint meeting once a year where the competent persons from the governmental, non-governmental, science and private sphere can discuss their contribution and efforts taken in the field of DRR, to discuss the progress taken in the HFA and to come up with new ideas to reduce disaster risks. NDGDM updates the platform members’ about the actual international DRR themes and upcoming ISDR events. On the other hand NDGDM circulates information about the international DRR trends and news electronically to the platform members. Additionally certain members of the Platform regularly meet in other occasions. For example, the Governmental Coordination Committee (KKB) of the Ministry of the Interior is responsible for the preparation of decisions related to disaster management issues of the Government. Hungarian ministries are members of the KKB, as well as of the National Platform as listed above. Another example is provided by the Humanitarian Assistance Coordination (HUMSEKO) working group of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in which the same competent ministries and civil, charitable organizations take part to coordinate humanitarian relief and assistance activities.