The Pacific Platform for Disaster Risk Management 2011 offered an opportunity to share experiences and knowledge in relation to initiatives that are being implemented by Pacific island countries and territories to strengthen resilience to disasters. The Platform brought together disaster managers of Pacific island countries and territories, chief executive officers of Ministries of Finance/Planning and Disaster Management, and representatives of national, regional and international development partner organizations, donors, civil society and the private sector.
UN-SPIDER attended and contributed to the main annual Pacific regional meeting. A plenary presentation focused on the work being carried out in the region, supporting the Small Island States, particularly Fiji, Samoa and Tonga. You can access the UN-SPIDER presentation of the event here.
A side session brought together all those who are interested in improving the coordination of access and use of space-based information and technologies to support disaster risk management in the Pacific region. It provided an opportunity to consolidate further the established SPIDER Thematic Partnership for the Pacific region and the upcoming Samoa Simulation Exercise. Thanks to a special contribution by the Government of Austria, UNOOSA/UN-SPIDER was able to support the travel of experts from Samoa and Tonga to attend the meeting. This also provided an opportunity to follow-up on the recommendations put forward for Samoa during the Technical Advisory Mission carried out in that country in December 2009, and also to plan the proposed upcoming Technical Advisory Mission to Tonga in October 2011. To obtain further information on getting involved in the Samoa Simulation Exercise and participating in the SPIDER Thematic Partnership for the Pacific region please contact David Stevens (david.stevens [at] unoosa.org).
Further information on the meeting is available at PACIFIC DISASTER NET
