By Salawati Haji Yahya –
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, 17 OCT – The Minister of Home Affairs, Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia Haji Ahmaddin bin Haji Abdul Rahman, attended and led a delegation from the Ministry of Home Affairs (KHEDN) to Asia Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (APMCDRR) 2024 in Manila, Republic of the Philippines from October 14 to today.
APMCDRR 2024 which is held every two years was jointly sponsored by the Philippines and United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) to discuss and examine disaster risk reduction efforts, share innovative proposals and further strengthen commitments that can be implemented to achieve disaster risk reduction by 2030 in the Asia-Pacific region.
This conference brings a theme Surge to 2030: Enhancing Ambition in Asia-Pacific to Accelerate Disaster Risk Reductionwhere the theme has given three main focuses, namely the emphasis on the importance of sustainable investment, the improvement of strategies in disaster risk reduction and early warning systems and anticipatory actions.
During the conference, the Honorable Minister of Internal Affairs also delivered a speech Ministerial Country Statement where he shared Brunei Darussalam’s commitment in fulfilling and implementing the country’s priorities and goals towards Sendai Framework on Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030.
It is in line with the country’s desire to achieve resilience in disaster management through the implementation of several strategies and initiatives in disaster risk reduction.
In addition to attending the conference, the Honorable Dato also held a separate goodwill visit with the Vice Minister for Policy Coordination, Cabinet Office of the Government of Japan, His Excellency Hara Hiroaki and the Secretary of National Defense of the Philippines, TYT Gilberto Eduardo Gerardo Conjuango Teodoro Jr.
Meanwhile, the goodwill visit with the Republic of the Philippines emphasized the importance of strengthening cooperation in disaster preparedness including in areas related to hydrometeorological hazards.
Also present during the APMCDRR 2024 conference were the Deputy Permanent Secretary (Safety and Welfare), KHEDN, as well as senior officials from KHEDN and the National Disaster Management Center, Brunei Darussalam.
