AMERICAS ACTIVITIES

 

DISASTER RISK GOVERNANCE PROJECT LAUNCH 

The final phase of the “Disaster Risk Governance Project” for Central America funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) was officially launched on October 5 2022. The general program engulfs three projects tasked to different implementing partners in the Americas region, including, CEPREDENAC, UNDRR, OCHA, and UNDP and unified under one objective of promoting advancements on the 4th priority of the Sendai Framework. The project implemented by UNDP with the technical collaboration of OCHA, involves technical consultations and trainings to consolidate the national USAR accreditation processes and aligning them with established international INSARAG standards towards IRNAP certification or re-certification. The six member states included in this project are Panama, Honduras, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic and Guatemala. See photos below.

 

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AMERICAS 2020 REGIONAL WORK PLAN AND ACTIVITIES

In its annual meeting of 2019, the Regional Group defined the following priorities for 2020:

  • Contribute to the definition of INSARAG global strategies and priorities
  • Strengthen the IRNAP process
  • Strengthen USAR coordination capacities in the region
  • Strengthen partnerships with “sister” response networks and other partners to increase the efficiency of emergency preparedness and response

These priorities were presented by the Regional Chair to the INSARAG Steering Group in February 2020 and received full endorsement. Since then, all regions across the world have been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, which has a dramatic impact in all aspects of life, at social and economic level, and has further aggravated the situation of vulnerable populations and those in need of humanitarian assistance.

The INSARAG network is adapting to the new reality. In the regional context of the Americas and the Caribbean, the Regional chairmanship group under the leadership of Colombia as Regional Chair is coordinating the required adaptations. On the one hand, all teams are encouraged inasmuch as possible to prepare for a potential response in a Covid-19 environment[1]; and on the other hand, alternative ways are being sought to implement activities of the regional work plan.

Here is the adapted road map (English, Spanish)  for each of the objectives for the year 2020 in the region.