Thailand to host 6th Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction

Bangkok - Kanchana Patarachoke, the deputy director-general of the Department of International Organizations (DIO) under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOF) and Pornpoth Penpas, the deputy director-general of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) gave a brief summary to envoys and representatives of international organizations regarding the preparedness of the 6th Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (the 6th AMCDRR), taking place from June 22th to 26th, 2014, at the Bangkok Convention Center at Centara Grand, Bangkok.

The biannual symposium, held since 2005, is a stage for 63 ministers from Asia and Pacific countries, who aim to strengthen political resolve to reduce risks from disaster as well as create societies ready to handle and recover after facing disasters at both national and regional levels, in line with international practice and the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) 2005-2015.

The 6th AMCDRR is a crucial event at which Thailand can reaffirm its role in disaster management so as to reduce the impact of any disaster in the future, and promote learning and cooperation in disaster management as well. Also, the meeting will review and synthesize what they have learned from 10 years of the HFA implementation.

The outcomes of this meeting are scheduled to be proposed to the United Nations General Assembly in September 2014 and the 3rd World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction, WCDRR in March 2015. At present, ministers from 15 countries and senior officials from 6 countries have confirmed their presence at the meeting, while more than 2,000 delegates from public sector and relevant national and international authorities have also confirmed participation in this symposium.