Following the hosting of the Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk (APMCDRR) last week, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. received praise and recognition from the delegates and stakeholders who participated in the event.

United Nations Special Representative for Disaster Risk Reduction and head of the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) Kamal Kishore led the group who thanked Marcos for a successful event.

“You’ve set a new benchmark for the Asian Ministerial Conferences on Disaster Risk Reduction,” he said.

He also commended Marcos’ “personal involvement and commitment” to climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction initiatives.

“Your commitment is an inspiring example for leaders across the world,” Kishore said.

It was the first time the Philippines hosted the prestigious conference which was held in Pasay City on 14-18 October.

Other countries in the region that have hosted the APMCDRR are China, India, Malaysia, South Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, Mongolia and Australia.

Marcos attended the opening ceremonies of the conference and hosted a dinner for the delegates in Malacañang.

The APMCDRR is the main platform in the Asia-Pacific region promoting coordination and cooperation on disaster risk reduction. It also monitors, reviews and enhances cooperation in the implementation of the Sendai Framework 2015-2030 at the regional level.

The conference is held every two years, gathering governments, international and national institutions, civil society organizations and other stakeholders to collectively address challenges and reduce disaster risks.

With this year’s theme, “Surge to 2030: Enhancing ambition in Asia-Pacific to accelerate DRR,” the conference focused on sharing lessons learned, identifying innovative ideas and practices to reduce systemic risk and cascading impacts, while identifying practical financing opportunities for countries to reduce disaster and build resilience, and advancing climate and disaster resilience, risk-informed development and humanitarian response preparedness.