ABUJA – Participants at the 5th Africa Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (AfRP) on Friday in Abuja agreed to collectively address disasters on the continent.
The conference with more than 900 participants from 44 countries agreed to strengthen their resilience to disasters through enhanced partnership.
The Deputy Prime Minister of Swaziland, Sen. Paul Dlamini, Chairman of the closing session, urged heads of government of to implement the declarations made at the conference.
He urged African Heads of State to provide financial and institutional supports for the implementation of the agreements.
He said that governments should also provide the legal framework for the actualisation of the 5th AfPR.
The deputy prime minister solicited the support of the UN Systems, AU Commission and other development partners to reduce the damage done by disasters on the continent.
“We are hoping that participating countries will begin to do something, the challenge has been that African countries lack the capacity to respond to disasters when they occur’’, he said.
The conference, in a 12-point declaration, agreed to take note of consultations on the post 2015 framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) conducted at national, sub-regional and continental levels.
The African ministers and heads of delegates agreed to also take note of the 4th AfPR held in Arusha, Tanzania, the AU 4th session of the global platform for DRR held in Geneva in 2013 and other consultations.
The conference recognised the role of regional platforms on disaster risk reduction as effective coordination forum that would foster unity among stakeholders on disaster management.
It advocated for the inclusion of emerging risks and their prevention through anticipatory risk management.
The meeting acknowledged the continued efforts of African countries, especially the contributions of regional economic communities, local governments’ community practitioners, and civil society group to DRR.
It also acknowledged the ongoing efforts at regional and national levels to enhance resilience of nations and communities against disasters. (NAN)