WRC Bali opportunity to build a more resilient world

id WRC Bali, Momentum, UNDP

WRC Bali opportunity to build a more resilient world

UNDP crisis bureau director Asako Okai answers media questions after delivering a speech at the opening of the 5th World Reconstruction Conference (WRC) in Nusa Dua, Bali, on Monday (May 23, 2022). (ANTARA/Genta Tenri Mawangi)

Badung (ANTARA) - The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) believes the 5th World Reconstruction Conference (WRC) in Bali will be an opportunity to build a world that recovers faster from crises, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic.

This statement is based on the fact that many countries have shown their ability to control the pandemic and emerge from the crisis so their success can be an inspiration for other countries to strengthen resilience, UNDP Crisis Bureau Director Asako Okai said while opening the 5th WRC here on Monday.

The conference is taking place from May 23–24, 2022,

"For UNDP, this meeting is an important input for our commitment to building a resilient world," she said.

The next task for WRC participating countries is to unite their experiences and policies into concrete global actions, she added.

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She then proposed three ways this can be achieved. First, countries need to muster up existing strengths and tools to resolve socioeconomic problems amid the pandemic.

"Second is to maintain and follow up on the mission of the SDGs (sustainable development goals) by strengthening a shared commitment to realize an environmentally friendly, inclusive, and resilient recovery," she said.

As part of the third strategy, the UNDP is encouraging WRC participants to develop effective crisis recovery methods, which can anticipate crises such as pandemics.

The WRC is a world-class forum that brings policy makers, experts, practitioners, as well as businesses together to share their experiences on disaster recovery efforts.

Generally, the WRC is organized by the European Union, UNDP, and World Bank. However, for this year's WRC, which is a part of a series of pre-GPDRR (Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction) meetings, for the first time, the International Recovery Platform (IRP) is participating as the organizer.

The 5th WRC, which will last two days, will feature a number of panel discussions, including on post-disaster infrastructure recovery and the impact of the pandemic on the socioeconomic sector.

At this year's WRC, a number of technical discussions will also be held about work mechanisms, funding, inter-agency cooperation, and recovery planning in anticipation of disasters.

The series of WRC activities will close on May 24. A number of leaders from the World Bank, UNDP, United Nations Agency for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), and representatives from the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) will present the results of the meeting.