Kazakhstan: Memorandum of intentions signed on the establishment of the Central Asian center on disaster response and risk reduction

On October 15, 2010, in Almaty, Kazakhstan, a Memorandum of Intentions was signed on the issue of establishing the Central Asian Center on Disaster Response and Risk Reduction.

The Memorandum was signed by Minister of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Kazakhstan Vladimir Bozhko, Minister of Emergency Situations of Kyrgyzstan Duishenkul Chotonov and Chairman of the Committee of Emergency Situations and Civil Defense under the Government of Tajikistan Haibullo Latipov.

The Memorandum envisages the establishment of the Organization Committee which will include authorized representatives of respective ministries and agencies with the purpose to accelerate the processes of internal country procedures on signing and ratification of the Inter-State Agreement on the establishment of the Center. The Organization Committee will also be engaged in the formation and development of the disaster response and risk reduction capacity in the region, will promote strengthening of cooperation between government officials, regional and international partners in disaster risk reduction and communities living in high-risk zones.
Initiators of the event were the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Kazakhstan and UNDP DIPECHO VI Project – “Capacity Building in Disaster Risk Reduction in Central Asia”.

It is expected that in a longterm perspective, the Central Asian Center on Disaster Response and Risk Reduction will make it possible to strengthen National Platforms of member-countries and other inter-sectoral mechanisms on risk reduction in accordance with the Hyogo Framework for Action for 2000-2015. One of the key program objectives is the need to develop and strengthen institutions, mechanisms and opportunities associated with natural and technogenic hazards.