Strengthening disaster monitoring capacity in Egypt through a national training workshop on the Sendai Framework Monitor

Cairo, Egypt, 2-3 October 2024 – A national training workshop on the Sendai Framework Monitor for Disaster Risk Reduction was held in Cairo, organized by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, Regional Office for Arab States, in collaboration with relevant Egyptian national authorities.

The two-day training aimed to enhance national authorities’ understanding of the importance of disaster risk reduction governance and establishing sound institutional arrangements to support risk reduction efforts at the national level, in addition to deepening awareness of the importance of monitoring the implementation of the Sendai Framework and training relevant authorities in the periodic reporting process on the use of the Sendai Framework Monitor. The training deepened understanding of the need for disaggregated data on disaster losses to enhance meaningful analysis that guides decision-making on programs and resources for risk reduction. In this regard, the Sendai Framework Monitor focuses on accurate data collection and analysis to enhance effective policy- and decision-making in the areas of disaster risk reduction and sustainable development. 

Major General Mohamed Abdel Maqsoud, Assistant Secretary-General of the Cabinet for Crisis and Disaster Affairs, opened the workshop with a speech in which he welcomed the participants and stressed the importance of intensifying national efforts to govern disaster risk reduction and coordinate policies between all vital sectors. In her opening remakrs, Noura Achkar, Chief of UNDRR Regional Office for Arab States, expressed the office’s commitment to supporting Egypt in its efforts to achieve the targets of the Sendai Framework, referring to the long and fruitful partnership with Egypt. 

“Our office supports Arab countries in establishing a disaster loss database and periodically entering data into the Sendai Framework Monitor in line with global monitoring deadlines, which aim to feed global analyses and reports, including the Global Sustainable Development Report and the UN Secretary-General’s report on disaster risk reduction.”

The workshop included several training sessions and presentations that addressed the importance of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, the process of defining terms and indicators, the links to the Sustainable Development Goals, and the time frame for the monitoring process, as well as how to record data related to losses and damages resulting from disasters, including the mechanism for entering data into the monitoring system. The sessions also addressed the various global targets of the Sendai Framework and reporting on progress made towards achieving them.

This training is part of the ongoing efforts of the UNDRR Regional Office for Arab States in implementing and monitoring the Sendai Framework, with the aim of improving resilience, reducing risks, and promoting sustainable development in the region.

Finally, the workshop stressed the importance of enhancing cooperation between different government agencies, in addition to developing national strategies for disaster risk reduction, to ensure better preparedness for disasters and enhance resilience in the future.