Leaving No One Behind - Investing in Local Action and Empowering those Most at Risk

The UN Secretary General’s call to “leave no-one behind” calls us all to ensure that the needs of the poorest, most marginalised and at-risk groups are prioritised in disaster prevention and response. DRR national and local strategies should seek to reduce the impact of disasters on the most vulnerable. They should be developed with the full participation of women, youth and persons with disabilities to achieve strong DRR outcomes.

This session shared examples of how local level vulnerable group mapping, the use of disaggregated data by gender, age, disabilities and other relevant attributes, can helpfully guide decision-making that leads to more inclusive DRR. It also demonstrated the benefits of engaging the poorest, most marginalised and vulnerable groups in designing and implementing disaster risk reduction strategies and plans that aim to reach every person at risk of, or impacted by disasters – regardless of their identity, economic or societal status, gender, age disability, ethnicity or other factors. The session will advocate for the need for more attention to DRR in fragile and conflict-affected countries and regions, where many of the poorest and most marginalised people live.

Moderator:

Veronica Pedrosa, Independent Journalist

Speakers:

Alexandra Ocles, National Secretary of Risk Management Ecuador

Kerryann Ifill, Chairman of the Caricom Advisory Panel on Disabilities

Mohamed Béavogui, Director-General, African Risk Capacity

Elhadj As Sy, Secretary General of International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

Nella Canales, Research Fellow, Swedish Environment Institute