Countries of the United Nations Begin Negotiations on Disaster Response and Preparedness for Future Pandemics

The United Nations organized three workshops spread across late February aimed at coordination and planning during disasters. The enhancement of disaster preparedness and response at the provincial level will allow for effective actions to be taken during disasters. The Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Law and Cooperative Department in Lumbini Province, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Law (MolAL) in Karnali Province, and the MolAL in Sudurpaschim Province led the workshops as they are most knowledgeable in coordinating responses during disasters.

Officials on the national, provincial, and local levels of government, security personnel, UN agencies, and civil society organizations discussed the development of a unified and inclusive disaster preparedness response plan. Officials hope to create unified contingency plans that create further stability in preparation for future disasters. Mr. Anil Pokhrel, Chief Executive Officer at the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, addressed the event, stating that officials can work most effectively when they work collectively. Mr. Pokhrel stated, “It is great to be here to discuss how all of us can work collectively—the federal government, the provincial government, the local government, private sector, the United Nations, and development partners in order to better prepare the province against any future disasters to focus on humanitarian action.”

The United Nations set a goal to improve provincial emergency response coordination in the event of a disaster. The findings from this workshop guide the crafting of contingency plans and provincial response frameworks. The United Nations stated that this can be done while maintaining “inclusion considerations at the centere of the framework to leave no one behind.”

By Justin Goldberg