The Honourable Minister Toeolesulusulu Cedric Pose Salesa Schuster, of the Ministry of Natural Resources, Environment and Lands, who oversees Disaster Risk Management and the Disaster Management Office, attended the Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (APMCDRR) in Manila, Philippines, from October 14th to 18th. Minister Schuster was accompanied by ACEO-DMO Fesola’i Molly F. Nielsen.
Before the APMCDRR, the first inter-sessional meeting of the Pacific Disaster Risk Management (DRM) Ministers was co-hosted by the Government of Fiji, the current chair of the Pacific DRM Ministers Meeting, along with the Pacific Community and the Pacific Islands Forum on October 14th. This meeting aimed to bring together government ministers responsible for disaster risk management in the Pacific. The Hon. Minister reaffirmed Samoa’s commitment to the priorities outlined in the 2022 Nadi Declaration and, along with other ministers, expressed support for the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders’ endorsement of a Pacific Ministerial Champion for DRM, who will lead efforts to enhance disaster resilience.
The APMCDRR was hosted by the Government of the Philippines in partnership with the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR). It brought together governments, international and national organizations, civil society, the private sector, academia, and other stakeholders from Asia and the Pacific, the world’s most disaster-prone region. This event serves as the primary platform in Asia and the Pacific for monitoring, reviewing, and enhancing cooperation in implementing the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030. In his ministerial statement, the Hon. Minister emphasized Samoa’s commitment to advancing its disaster risk management efforts in line with the Sendai Framework targets for 2030. He highlighted two key priorities: upgrading technology and communication systems for early warning, and implementing Samoa’s Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems Policy while engaging local communities in disaster risk reduction planning and executing its Community Disaster and Climate Risk Management (CDCRM) Program.
Hon. Minister Schuster and his delegation participated in several sessions and bilateral meetings during the conference, including discussions on the Inclusive Approach to the Loss and Damage Agenda; the Regional Early Warnings for All (EW4All) Multi-Stakeholder Forum for Asia-Pacific focused on forecasts, warnings, and user engagement, as well as the launch of the ADAPT (Addressing Displacement through Adaptation, Preparedness, and Knowledge Transfer) Project in collaboration with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).
The Government of Samoa wishes to acknowledge the support from the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) and the Pacific Community (SPC) for supporting the participation of Samoa in this conference, as well as the host, the Government of Philippines.
