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SARAJEVO, October 13 (FENA) - Bosnia and Herzegovina has been a member of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism since September 6 and it is the first country in the region and beyond to submit a report regarding the mid-term review in the field of disaster risk reduction, in the context of the implementation of the Sendai Framework, a global document accepted by the General Assembly of the United Nations (UN).
This was highlighted today ahead of the round table in Sarajevo, organized on the occasion of the presentation of the key findings of the "Mid-term assessment of the implementation of the Sendai Framework in Bosnia and Herzegovina".
The gathering was organized on the occasion of the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction on October 13 as part of the Joint Program of the Government of Switzerland and the United Nations entitled "Disaster Risk Reduction for Sustainable Development in BiH", in partnership with the Ministry of Security of BiH.
BiH Minister of Security Selmo Cikotić addressed the participants and emphasized the importance of the progress achieved in the field of disaster risk reduction in the context of European integration, and reminding that on September 6, BiH officially became a member of the European Civil Protection Mechanism.
“Bosnia and Herzegovina and its security structures undertake continuous efforts to reduce the risk of various disasters. This year, by the recommendations of the UN, the focus will be on the goals of the Sendai Framework in terms of significantly increasing the availability of early warning systems for various dangers, as well as activities to reduce the estimated risks,” said Cikotić.
UN Resident Coordinator in BiH, Ingrid Macdonald, pointed out the importance of effective action in this area emphasizing that the meeting in Sarajevo is a good opportunity to review the progress that has been achieved in Bosnia and Herzegovina but also to assess all the challenges that are present in the country.
“Namely, it is known that reducing the risk of disasters is, in fact, an investment, because every dollar invested in preventing disasters will save six dollars in case disaster occurs,” Macdonald said in a statement to the media.
According to her, it is important to assess the extent to which the Sendai Framework has been implemented, which is being done in parallel with the implementation of that framework in cooperation with agencies from the UN family, and also with the support of the Government of Switzerland.
Ambassador of the Swiss Confederation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Daniel Hunn, underlined the necessity of effective action in the mentioned context. He also praised the engagement of Minister Cikotić and the Ministry of Security of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the plan to reduce the risk of disasters.
“We from the Swiss Embassy, together with the UN, have been supporting the efforts of the relevant ministry for four years and are currently preparing the next phase of the project, the implementation of which will begin in 2023,” said Ambassador Huun.
He said, at the same time, that the Sendai Framework is an excellent tool for all countries that want to reduce the risks of disasters, with a focus on the prevention of these risks and better management in the protection and rescue sector.
The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 (Sendai Framework) is an international document of global character that was adopted by 187 countries, and members of the UN at the World Conference held in 2015 in the Japanese city of Sendai and accepted by the UN General Assembly.
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