ISLAMABAD - Chairman National Disaster and Management Authority (NDMA) Lt Gen Akhtar Nawaz, highlighted the progress in all areas under the BRI’s flagship China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) at the Belt and Road Ministerial Forum for International Cooperation in Disaster Risk Reduction and Emergency Management held in Beijing. 

Chairman NDMA represented Pakistan in the forum.

The forum was organised by the Ministry of Emergency Management of China and was held online. Besides Pakistan and China it was attended by ministers and senior officials responsible for Disaster Risk Reduction and Emergency Management from Belarus, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Mongolia, Mozambique, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Serbia and Turkey. Representatives from UN Agencies and humanitarian organisations also participated in the forum.  

In his remarks, Chairman NDMA highlighted that progress in all areas under the BRI’s flagship China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was witnessed unabated despite the COVID-19 pandemic. CPEC has further enhanced the all-weather strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries.

Cognizant of the need to strengthen Disaster Risk Management system and mechanism to protect economic and social development, Chairman NDMA said that the government of Pakistan’s initiative to establish a dedicated and comprehensive disaster management system allowing tackling of disaster related issues in a holistic manner. He stressed the need to enhance international cooperation through strengthening capacities, capitalising on the work done by individual countries, and by adopting an inclusive approach.

Participating countries at the forum adopted the Beijing Declaration with consensus on promoting cooperation in resilience and disaster risk reduction and management.