The Vietnamese delegation participated in the Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference in Manila, Philippines, led by Vice Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyễn Hoàng Hiệp. The delegation included representatives from various relevant departments of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
The APMCDRR 2024 is the 10th Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference, attended by Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos, with the main theme "Towards 2030: Accelerating Ambitions for Advancing Disaster Risk Reduction in the Asia-Pacific Region." Nearly 3,000 delegates, including leaders, government officials, representatives of international organizations, non-governmental organizations, scholars, and the press from 39 countries in the Asia-Pacific region, participated in the conference in person.
During the 4-day program, the delegates will discuss key issues, including practical solutions to enhance disaster risk reduction financing; ensuring that no one is left behind; gender-responsive and inclusive disaster risk governance; localization, and resilience of urban and rural areas.
In his speech at the plenary session of the Conference, Vice Minister Nguyễn Hoàng Hiệp shared about the impacts of Typhoon Yagi, which recently swept through Vietnam in September, and the international community's efforts to help Vietnam recover from the disaster.
On behalf of Vietnam's disaster management forces, the Vice Minister expressed his sincere gratitude for the support from countries in the Asia-Pacific region that have always accompanied and shared difficulties with Vietnam during times of severe natural disasters.
The Vice Minister emphasized that he and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development attended the Conference with a spirit of learning and sharing experiences, as Vietnam's economy has not yet fully recovered from the typhoon.
"Vietnam is striving to connect with countries in the region, not only to seek companionship in the endeavor of disaster risk reduction but also to find a common voice on disaster risk reduction activities for the region and the world," the Vice Minister highlighted.
Additionally, the Vice Minister shared about two main priority areas in disaster risk reduction efforts. The first priority is to enhance community resilience, with a particular focus on vulnerable groups, especially children. The other key task is to strengthen disaster-resilient infrastructure, paying special attention to forecasting and early warning systems.
The Vice Minister expressed hope that Vietnam and the Southeast Asian region would soon achieve the goals of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction by 2030.
Vietnam remains committed to promoting activities within the ASEAN region, such as strengthening early actions in disaster management, to ensure that the 2023 Ha Long Ministerial Statement on The Strengthening of ASEAN Anticipatory Actions in Disaster Management will achieve positive outcomes.
As a responsible member of the international community, and with the support of United Nations agencies and domestic development partners, Vietnam is ready to share best practices and lessons learned from major disasters to help countries in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond respond effectively to similar disasters.
Regarding proposals to the UNDRR, Vice Minister Nguyễn Hoàng Hiệp emphasized that the United Nations, development organizations, and climate change and disaster-related funds should prioritize support for vulnerable countries, providing them with greater access to financial resources. This would enable the creation of programs and projects that empower future generations and strengthen the resilience of vulnerable communities against the increasing impacts of disasters and climate change.
