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UNDP Supports the Ministry of Interior in finalizing the National Strategy for Protection and Rescue in Emergencies

The Ministry of Interior and UNDP jointly organized a seminar for the working group on the National Strategy for Protection and Rescue in Emergencies. The three-day seminar was organized within the overall framework of UNDP in support to disaster risk reduction capacity development in Serbia. A core group of thirty representatives from Serbian ministries and relevant agencies gathered with the objective to collectively develop the basic structure and components of the above-mentioned Strategy. While working on an already existing document, with the assistance of UNDP facilitators, the participants defined the challenges, vision, mission, aims, objectives and priorities of the Strategy. The following issues were considered:

The link between disasters and development
  • Understanding the concept of Disaster Risk Reduction
  • Hyogo Framework for Action and the International Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction System
  • European Union/European Commission and Disaster Risk Reduction and brief overview of the EU DRR Strategy

The working group finalized the structure of the Strategy based on which the Bureau for Strategic Planning of the Serbian Ministry of Interior will prepare the final draft. The adoption of the Strategy is expected to be on the agenda of the June or July session of the Nationala Assembly of the Republic of Serbia.

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UNDP and Disaster Risk Reduction

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) recognizes the importance of disaster risk management to poverty reduction and sustainable human development, and has, over the past four decades, supported interventions in the areas of prevention, response and recovery. The aim of such programmes has been to strengthen national capacity to prevent /reduce risk as well as to respond to natural disasters. More specifically, UNDP provides assistance to develop government capacity to manage recovery and to ensure renewed progress towards the Millennium Development Goals while reducing vulnerability to future disasters. Programming in key areas of development, an extensive national presence and partnership with governments and other national stakeholders provides UNDP with a unique opportunity to address disaster risk as a development challenge and to focus recovery on reducing vulnerabilities.

UNDP Serbia supports the Ministry of Interior, Sector for Emergency Management, through the provision of policy level advice and technical assistance. The National Disaster Risk Advisor leads UNDP Serbia’s work in DRR, while support was also provided to recovery efforts in the aftermath of the Kraljevo Earthquake.

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