Civil Defense Administrator Ariel Nepomuceno with OCD-NCR Regional Director George Keyser (Photo: Office of Civil Defense)
MANILA, (PIA) — The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) has reassured its full commitment to providing support and assistance in preparation for the 2024 Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (APMCDRR) scheduled to be held in Manila from October 14 to 18, 2024.
Civil Defense Administrator, Undersecretary Ariel Nepomuceno, stated that the OCD is fully dedicated to fulfilling its roles and ensuring that everything is in place for the upcoming conference.
“The OCD continues to fulfill its roles. We are making sure everything is in place for the APMCDRR 2024, with Defense Secretary Teodoro and DENR Secretary Loyzaga guiding us,” said Usec. Nepomuceno.
The 2024 APMCDRR Inter-Agency Committee is under the leadership of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and is co-chaired by the Department of National Defense (DND) through its bureau, the OCD.
The OCD chairs the Conference Management Committee and is a member of the Program and Host Country Priorities; Security, Order, and Emergency Preparedness and Response Committee; and Logistics, Infrastructure, and Transport Committee.
Meanwhile, the OCD also participated in the APMCDRR Media Launch held on Thursday at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Pasay City, which was hosted by the DENR. A high-level meeting was also conducted on the same day prior to the media launch.
The DENR officials provided an overview of the conference and introduced the theme and brand of APMCDRR 2024 to the media. This year’s theme, “Surge to 2030: Enhancing Ambition In Asia-Pacific To Accelerate Disaster Risk Reduction,” emphasizes the need for collective action among Asia-Pacific countries to achieve effective disaster risk reduction through the attainment of 2030 ambitions of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR).
The interagency committee has been implementing its work plan in preparation for the conference, including organizing a series of Skills Enhancement Training sessions for Liaison and Conference Officers of the APMCDRR.
The APMCDRR is a biennial conference organized by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) and serves as a platform for global leaders to address issues related to disaster risk and foster coordination and cooperation in implementing the Sendai Framework in the Asia-Pacific region. (JCO/PIA-NCR)
