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.

AMERICAS 2018 REGIONAL WORK PLAN AND ACTIVITIES

 

In its face-to-face meeting on 9 February 2018, the Regional Chairmanship Group elaborated the Regional Workplan 2018 (English ,Spanish ), based on the inputs received by the Regional Group in its meeting in 2017. We encourage you to send your comments, contributions and reports on progress to the Chair and the Secretariat.

The Chairmanship Group hopes to count on the participation of all countries of the Regional Group to achieve the objectives of the region.

KEY DATES 

15-16 May – INSARAG Earthquake Response Exercise Planning and Coordination Course, Buenos Aires, Argentina

23-28 September – INSARAG Methodology Course, San José, Costa Rica

8-12 October – Regional Earthquake Response Exercise, Salta, Argentina

5-6 November – Regional Group Meeting, Mexico City, Mexico

2018 Work Plan

REGIONAL GROUP MEETING 2018 (MEXICO)

The XVII meeting of the INSARAG Americas Regional Group was held on from 5 to 6 November 2018 in Mexico City, Mexico. It was hosted by the Government of Mexico in its capacity as Regional Chair and prepared jointly with the I and II Vice-chair, Argentina and the Dominican Republic respectively, as well as with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA) in its capacity as the INSARAG Secretariat.

The meeting gathered a total of 62 participants from 19 countries of the region and beyond, as well as the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the Centre for Natural Disasters Prevention in Central America (CEPREDENAC), IRO Americas and the Caribbean Disaster Management Agency (CDEMA). The countries, organizations and USAR teams were all represented by their INSARAG focal points or in delegation of the focal points, as well as with some UNDAC members and UNDAC focal points.

Chairman summary