The Fifth Arab Partnership Meeting for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR)

To enhance the adoption and implementation of an all-of-society approach to implementing Sendai Framework and the Arab Strategy for DRR 2030, UNDRR in collaboration with the League of Arab States convene bi-annual meetings of the Arab Partnership for DRR Group the latest of which was the 5^th Arab Partnership Meeting for DRR held from 2 to 9 November 2020. The deliberations of the meeting recognized the high importance of the meeting being a platform with increasing responsibility to address the increasing demand for DRR efforts in this region. The meeting deliberations also demonstrated that there has been remarkable progress made by the governments and all stakeholders in implementing the Arab Strategy for DRR 2030 and its Prioritized Action Plan 2018-2020 but called for more collective and coordinated effort to advance DRR in the region. The meeting concluded several agreements on the way forward including agreement that UNDRR and the League of Arab States in consultation with the national Sendai Focal Points should work intensively during March - September 2021 to evaluate the progress made in implementing the Prioritized Action Plan 2018-2020 and develop the Prioritized Action Plan 2021-2024 for endorsement at the upcoming Fifth Arab Regional Platform on DRR in the last quarter of 2021, agreement that UNDRR and the League of Arab States, in consultation with the Arab countries, will work closely over the coming months to develop a Guidance Note on Integrating Biological Hazards in DRR Action in the Arab Region, agreement that Arab Stakeholder Groups for DRR will prepare a stocktaking report on progress achieved so far in implementing their Voluntary Action Statements, revise/update their TORs and update their Voluntary Action Statements in consultation with their respective members for presentation at the 5^th Arab Regional Platform for DRR, agreement to convene a periodic meeting for a UN Group for DRR, that shares information, exchange ideas and experiences and, where possible, identify and implement potential joint work, a call to governments and partners in the region was made to step up efforts and join the MCR2030 Programme to help cities build their resilience, as the Programme coincides with the decade of action for sustainable development and agreement to organize the 5^th Arab Regional Platform for DRR in the last quarter of 2021 after having organized several preparatory consultation webinars and finalized the Prioritized Action Plan 2021-2024 and the revised Voluntary Commitments of the seven Arab Stakeholder Groups for DRR.