Ulaanbaatar /MONTSAME/. In partnership with the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) is organizing a workshop under the theme, ‘Strengthening the Capacity of National and Local Disaster Risk Reduction Councils’, at the UN House on June 11-12.

The workshop brings together over 90 specialists of the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Justice and Home Affairs, Ministry of Labor and Social Protection, Ministry of Construction and Urban Development, Ministry of Road and Transport Development, Ministry of Mining and Heavy Industry, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Energy, Ministry of Finance, NEMA, Emergency Management Agency of the Capital City, State Professional Inspection Agency, Communications and Information Technology Authority, UN, the Mongolian Red Cross Society as well as local disaster risk reduction councils.

Head of NEMA, Major General T.Badral, UN Resident Coordinator Beate Trankmann and advisor of Deputy PM S.Yanjinsuren participated in the opening ceremony.

In his speech, Head of NEMA, Major General T.Badral said, “Establishing local disaster risk reduction councils in the nine districts of the capital city and 21 aimags with approval of a strategic plan on reducing disaster risks is a big advancement made in disaster risk management. As of now, the workforce of the national disaster risk reduction council has conducted disaster risk study in aimags, such as Gobi-Altai, Dornogobi, Dundgobi, Khuvsgul and Khovd, determining the infrastructures and areas with high risk and planning measures to reduce the risks.”

UN Resident Coordinator Beate Trankmann said, “The Government of Mongolia is establishing disaster risk reduction councils at national and local levels, addressing correlating issues, such as climate change and disaster risks as one. We commend Mongolia for leading as one of the few countries to approve the National Medium-Term Strategy for Implementing the Sendai Framework 2030. The UN stands ready to help Mongolia further develop local DRR strategies and capacities, including strengthening emergency preparedness and response and sustainable environmental management to reduce disaster risks.”

The participants will be introduced to the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, the Sustainable Development Agenda 2030 and measures being taken against climate change, and discuss ways to implement correlation between them.

They will also become acquainted with the progress of the 2019-2020 plan of disaster risk reduction councils, discuss pressing issues and come to a decision on how disaster risk reduction plans should be implemented at the local level.