Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung met with Mami Mizutori, former special representative of the United Nations secretary-general for disaster risk reduction and head of the U.N. Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, to exchange views on global disaster preparedness June 24 in Taipei City.
In his remarks, Lin lauded Mizutori’s keynote speech during a Global Cooperation Training Framework workshop on disaster governance and sustainable operation underway through June 25. He added that Taiwan and Japan have a deep bond, as evidenced by reciprocal support during natural disasters and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Amid the global threats of climate change and a potential energy crisis, Taiwan has been proactive in strengthening societal resilience and enhancing disaster prevention and reduction capabilities while expanding its international participation, the minister said. He expressed hope that the two sides would continue to deepen partnership by expanding substantive collaboration across the board.
In response, Mizutori said that risk management is a shared global challenge and acknowledged the firm cooperative foundation laid by GCTF partners. She anticipated that framework members would reinforce collaboration to jointly help countries in the global south upgrade disaster response capabilities and enhance resilience.
Mizutori further pointed out that the concept of whole-of-society resilience proposed by President Lai Ching-te aligns with the U.N.’s Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. She conveyed eagerness for Taiwan to share its experiences with the world as it continues to implement the initiative.
According to the Presidential Office, Mizutori also had an audience with Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim June 23 at the PO, during which Hsiao said she looked forward to working with Japan to strengthen mutual resilience. (POC-E)
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