Specific mandates have been issued within the framework of the Ibero-American Summits and the Rio Group, as well as the meetings of Latin American and Caribbean institutions dealing with disaster risk reduction, so as to evaluate and analyze Ibero-American, Latin American and Caribbean mechanisms dealing efficiently with disaster emergencies and contingencies, while bearing in mind the growing vulnerability in our countries vis-à-vis natural disasters and the impact of climate change on our environment.

This problem had first been dealt with in the year 2008 at the “Meeting on Response Mechanisms to Emergencies derived from Natural Disasters”, which was held in Mexico City, on 24 and 25 September, under the auspices of the Ibero-American General Secretariat (SEGIB) and the Secretariat of Foreign Affairs of Mexico. In order to proceed with the exchanging of ideas on this complex theme, during the year 2009, the Seminars on Response Mechanisms to Natural Disasters were programmed, one, to analyze the experiences of the Andean Region and Southern Cone (Caracas, 3 and 4 September 2009), and the other, to analyze the experiences in Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean (Panama City, 15 and 16 October 2009). Both seminars were organized by the Permanent Secretariat of the Latin American and Caribbean Economic System (SELA), the Government of Mexico, through the Secretariat of Foreign Affairs and the Secretariat of Governance, the Ibero-American General Secretariat (SEGIB) with the collaboration of the Spanish Agency of International Cooperation for Development (AECID).

The objective of these Seminars was to continue working on the possibility of establishing a simplified regional mechanism for responding to emergencies and contingencies resulting from disasters, and to define an Ibero-American strategy to deal with these matters.

In order to follow-up on these initiatives, the “Meeting of the working group for the implementation of a proposal for the development of a simplified mechanism for the management and disaster risk reduction of the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean” took place on 7 June 2010 in the headquarters of the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The aforementioned meeting was organized by the Government of Mexico, through the Secretariat of Foreign Affairs (SFA) and the Secretariat of Governance (SEGOB), the Permanent Secretariat of SELA, and the Ibero-American General Secretariat (SEGIB). The objectives of said meeting were: To continue with these activities for the establishment of a simplified mechanism for responding to natural disasters; and ii) To collaborate with multilateral coordination efforts for the formulation of a proposed profile of a mechanism, or simplified initiative for management of disaster risk reduction.

As a result of that meeting, the “Technical Advisory Group for the Establishment of a Simplified Regional Mechanism for Responding to Disaster Emergencies and Contingencies” was formalized and coordinated by the Government of Mexico, which is responsible for preparing a simplified proposed mechanism, taking into account the progress made in the regional and subregional processes specialized in the area.

In addition to these activities, the Permanent Secretariat has considered it convenient to identify and analyze the contribution made by the private sector to reduce disaster risk, as well as the different mechanisms which may be activated in cases of emergencies deriving from natural disasters, with the assistance of governments from the region, in joint cooperation efforts to be able to deal with emergency cases.

It has been a long time since the private sector has been making significant contributions to assist governments when they have to handle emergency cases. Information on such efforts has not been well spread or systematized; therefore , not all national systems for disaster risk reduction and national agencies for civil defence and protection are aware of the huge potential for help and collaboration of the private sector in case of a disaster – particularly as regards the provision of funds for communications and telecommunications, information technologies, energy, provision of water, food and medicines, transportation, as well as supply of machinery and equipment, etc.

In order to assist the governments of the region to face the major challenges posed by disasters and their aftermaths, this activity seeks to pinpoint initiatives and underscore the potential of the private sector and the diversity of instruments, mechanisms and services which could be available to governments in support of their activities in case of disasters, thus guaranteeing an efficient and well organized job, while making use of the enormous potential that could be offered by all social actors for the benefit and protection of society.