Public-private partnerships for disaster risk management, in particular the issue of continuity of government and continuity of business and operations during disasters in Latin America and the Caribbean, have gained increasingly high priority on the agenda of regional institutions specialized in disaster risk reduction in view of the need to strengthen the capacity of States to deal with disasters. In addition, they stress the importance of focusing and activating all the potential for action of social actors, particularly the private sector, during disasters, which frequently exceed the response capacity of States.

This has been evidenced in various specialized forums that have taken place in Latin America and the Caribbean, but above all within the framework of the Regional Meetings on International Mechanisms for Humanitarian Assistance (MIAH), organized by the United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), and the Sessions of the Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, coordinated by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR).

Against this background, Ecuador, through the Risk Management Secretariat (SGR), agreed to host and co-sponsor the “III Regional Seminar on Partnerships between the Public and Private Sectors for Disaster Risk Management. Continuity of government and continuity of business and operations during disasters in Latin America and the Caribbean: Achievements and experiences from the perspective of local governments and enterprises,” with the aim of promoting, coordinating and determining common positions and strategies in Latin America and the Caribbean in the area of risk management, recognizing the potential of the private sector and the importance of generating increased commitment through strategic partnerships.

This effort enables the Risk Management Secretariat of Ecuador, in collaboration with the Latin American and Caribbean Economic System (SELA), to create a space for integration and exchange of public and private experiences in disaster risk management within the framework of continuity of government and continuity of business and operations. The SGR also seeks to deepen coordination and cooperation among Latin American and Caribbean governments, institutions specialized in disaster risk reduction and the private sector in the process of developing partnerships, as well as to pursue the analysis of the continuity of government, business and operations during disasters from a comprehensive and forward-looking regional perspective.

Thus, Ecuador, for the second time in 2014, becomes the host of these regional meetings on disaster risk management, following up and complying with the objectives and priorities of the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) and contributing to the preparation of a new base document that strengthens risk reduction actions at the regional level.

Other Seminars:

The Permanent Secretariat of SELA has worked on the issue of public-private partnerships for disaster risk management, in particular the subject of continuity of government and continuity of business and operations during disasters in Latin America and the Caribbean, in close collaboration and coordination with the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR). For this purpose, it signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the period 2011-2015 in order to promote cooperation among governments and the private sector for disaster risk reduction.

The issue of partnerships between public and private sectors to reduce disaster risk in Latin America and the Caribbean has been dealt with by the Permanent Secretariat during the past four years in the following regional meetings:

1. In 2010, the “Regional Seminar on Public Investment and Financial Mechanisms, Insurance and Reinsurance against Disasters in Latin America and the Caribbean: Recent Experiences” (Mexico, 22 and 23 November 2010), was organized jointly with the UNISDR and the government of Mexico, through the Secretariat of Foreign Affairs and the Secretariat of Government. On that occasion, the Permanent Secretariat submitted the base study “Financial Mechanisms, Insurance and Reinsurance against Disasters in Latin America and the Caribbean: Recent experiences”.

   http://www.sela.org/view/index.asp?ms=258&pageMs=26403&item_id=75318

2. In 2011, the Regional Seminar on “Cooperation between governments and the private sector for disaster risk reduction in Latin America and the Caribbean: Focus, progress and challenges” (Panama, 17 and 18 November) was organized jointly with the UNISDR, USAID-OFDA and the City of Knowledge Foundation (FCS). On that occasion, the Permanent Secretariat presented the base document “Guidelines for cooperation between governments and the private sector for disaster risk reduction: Approaches, achievements and challenges”.

   http://www.sela.org/view/index.asp?ms=258&pageMs=26403&item_id=93096

3. In 2012, the Regional Seminar “Partnerships between public and private sectors for disaster risk management: Continuity of government and continuity of operations during disasters” (Peru, 7 and 8 June 2012) was organized jointly with the US/ISDR, USAID-OFDA and the Government of Peru (INDECI and CENEPRED). For this event, the Permanent Secretariat submitted the base study entitled “Partnerships between public and private sectors for disaster risk reduction: Continuity of government and continuity of operations during disasters”.

   http://www.sela.org/view/index.asp?ms=258&pageMs=26403&item_id=99823

4. In 2013, the II Regional Seminar “Partnerships between public and private sectors for disaster risk reduction: Continuity of government and continuity of business operations during disasters” (Cartagena, Colombia, on 1 and 2 August 2013) was organized jointly with the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR), United States Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance for International Development (USAID-OFDA), the National Business Association of Colombia (ANDI), the Colombian Security Council (CCS) and the Integral Responsibility Group of Colombia (RI). On that occasion, the Permanent Secretariat presented two base documents: i) Continuity of business and operations during disasters in Latin America and the Caribbean: Balance and recommendations (SP/II-SR-ASPPGRD/DT N° 2-13) and ii) Continuity of Operations (COOP) and Continuity of Government (COG): Proposal for their implementation in Latin America and the Caribbean (SP/II-SR-ASPPGRD/DT N° 3-13).

   http://www.sela.org/view/index.asp?ms=258&pageMs=26403&item_id=112346