Statement by the United Nations Resident Coordinator and Co-Chair of the Disaster Response Coordination Unit (DRCU), Ms. Antje Grawe

It is a pleasure to welcome you all to today’s meeting of the Disaster Response Coordination Unit.

Allow me at the outset to congratulate Minister Chynybaev on his appointment and to welcome him to his first DRCU meeting as Co-Chair. Minister, I very much welcome your intention to further strengthen the DRCU and to see more active engagement across its sectors. Preparedness is sustained between emergencies, and active sector coordination is one of the most effective ways of strengthening our collective readiness.

The relevance of this agenda has once again been demonstrated by the recent mudflows and flooding in Issyk-Kul and Osh regions. Minister, I would like to commend your active leadership and personal engagement in overseeing response and recovery efforts on the ground. Your presence in affected communities sent a strong message about the importance that the Government places on protecting people and supporting communities in times of crisis.

Surely, your recent first-hand experience in leading response efforts following the mudflows and flooding in Issyk-Kul and Osh regions reinforces many of the lessons that have emerged from the DRCU’s work in recent years. Through emergency responses, simulation exercises such as Ak-Shumkar, after-action reviews and our Joint Learning Workshop last November, we have gained valuable insights into what works well, where coordination can be strengthened, and how preparedness efforts can be further enhanced.

Several lessons have been drawn consistently:  Preparedness is strongest when coordination structures remain active between emergencies; when roles, responsibilities and communication channels are clear; when national institutions, local authorities and partners work closely together; and when plans and procedures are regularly reviewed and tested in practice.

Another lesson is that preparedness and response cannot be viewed in isolation from longer-term resilience building. Investments in risk reduction, social protection, early warning systems, resilient infrastructure and local capacities often determine the effectiveness of response efforts when disasters occur. In this regard, I particularly welcome today’s presentation by the World Bank, which reminds us of the important links between disaster preparedness, risk financing and broader development planning.

I would therefore like to thank all sector leads and partners who have invested considerable effort in preparing for today’s meeting. The materials prepared for our discussion demonstrate both the significant capacities that exist across the sectors and the opportunities to further strengthen preparedness and coordination.

I hope today’s meeting will be practical and forward-looking. Building on the experience accumulated over recent years, we have an opportunity to agree on a shared direction for the DRCU, strengthen the role of its sectors in preparedness and contingency planning, and identify concrete follow-up actions for the period ahead. In this regard, I welcome the proposal to develop an updated DRCU Action Plan and a reinvigorated sector structure that can help guide our collective efforts in the years to come.

I would also like to express sincere appreciation to WFP for stepping forward to strengthen the work of the DRCU following the departure of OCHA from the region. Through the secondment of two staff members to support the DRCU Secretariat together with the Ministry of Emergency Situations, WFP is making an important contribution to ensuring continuity, coordination and follow-up to our collective efforts. Their support comes at an important moment as we seek to revitalize the platform and strengthen preparedness across all sectors. Please join me in welcoming Oleksandre Morozov and Ruslan Umaraliev, who will support the work of the DRCU and its Co-Chairs in the period ahead.

I am confident that today’s discussions will help shape a shared vision for a stronger and more active DRCU — one that continues to bring together the expertise, capacities and commitment of all its members in support of preparedness, resilience and effective response.

I look forward to a productive discussion and to hearing your ideas and recommendations for the way forward.

Thank you.