9th Session of the Africa Working Group on Disaster Risk Reduction (Extended)

The Africa Working Group on Disaster Risk Reduction, established through a Ministerial Declaration, provides technical support to the African Union Commission, Regional Economic Communities, Member States and partners for coordination and implementation of the Africa Regional Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction. The AWG meets biannually wherein the Core Group and Extended Group meet alternatively. Eight such sessions of the AWG have been convened so far.

The Extended AWG will be attended by representatives from AUC, RECs, one Member State from each REC, UNISDR and other UN entities, AfDB, WB/GFDRR, Regional Climate Centres, civil society, academic and scientific organisations, sub-regional Inter Agency Working Groups, Pan-African Parliamentarians, African Mayors and Local Governments, gender and youth organisations, media, and other development partners.

The Ninth Session of the Africa Working Group (Extended) will be hosted by the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) and the Republic of Zambia. 

The 9th Session of the AWG will have the following key objectives:

• Review progress in the implementation of the Yaoundé Declaration on the implementation of the Sendai Framework in Africa;
• Review the status of implementation of agreed action points from the 8th Session of AWG, 16-17 February 2016;
• Review and finalise the Programme of Action for implementation of the Sendai Framework in Africa;
• Agree on the structure and agenda of the Sixth Session of the Africa Regional Platform (AfRP) and Fifth High-Level meeting on Disaster Risk Reduction, 22-25 November 2016, Mauritius; and
• Review the progress in the implementation of the ACP-EU DRR Programme: Building Disaster Resilience to Natural Hazards in Sub-Saharan African Regional, Countries, and Communities