Workshop: The role of the private sector in reducing risk and preventing disasters

On October 21, 2011, the Disaster Risk Reduction Unit at the Prime Minister’s Office and the UN held a one-day workshop on the role of the private sector in disaster risk reduction (DRR) and prevention.

33 stakeholders and representatives from private enterprises, insurance companies, international organizations, NGOs and the public sector participated in the workshop, which was facilitated by the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR), Regional Office for the Arab States.

The workshop was under the patronage of the Prime Minister who was represented by a Minister of State. The Special Representative of the Secretary General for DRR, Margareta Wahlstrom, and the Resident Coordinator of the UN both participated in the workshop.

Mr. Philip Verges, founder of the Small Equity Initiative and member of the Private Sector Advisory Group (PSAG) of the UNISDR has presented his experience in engaging the private sector in DRR efforts and engaged the participants in a dialogue on the role of the private sector in DRR.

Specifically, the workshop aimed at:

• Developing a shared understanding of concept, approach, and methods of disaster risk management and risk reduction
• Exploring, promoting and developing possibilities of public-private-partnership in disaster risk reduction
• Learning from best-practices in private sector engagement in DRR
• Exploring the role of the private sector in advancing DRR within various economic branches in Lebanon
• Exploring steps forward