Statement of the Deputy Minister of Emergency Situations of Kyrgyzstan Mr, M.Sh. Kasymaliev

On the Global Platform on June 16-19 2009 inGeneva, Switzerland

Dear ladies and Gentlemen!

Dear participants!

First of all, let me on behalf of the Government of the KyrgyzRepublic to welcome all the participants and express the words of appreciation to the Government of Switzerland and the Secretariat of the UN International Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction for the organization of this important event.

Today, all mankind faced one of the important tasks – the fight against the natural disasters that have a tendency of annual increase, not sparing the efforts and resources, human resources, not recognizing borders and nationalities.

Nowadays, the disasters called forth by the natural hazards move back the achieved development process worldwide. Thus, the necessity in natural hazards causing the disasters should be recognized in policy issues to be discussed by the governments of many countries.

Disasters do not recognize borders and nationalities. Thisistheirstrengthandatthesametimes- weakness. However, theproblemcanbesolvedbyjointefforts. In our view the mankind didn’t develop more effective information sharing methodsthan direct communication amongst specialists working in the field of disaster risk management and implementing joint projects in overcoming disasters.

Emergency situations have the stable tendency of increase causing the enormous damage to the economy, ecology and they lead to people fatalities worldwide including our high mountainous republic.

ThemainpriorityoftheGovernmentoftheKyrgyzRepublicinconductingtheeffectivegovernmentalpolicyinthefieldofdisasterriskreductionisthesaving and preserving peoples’ lives, decreasing the damage, rational utilization of budget through the coordination of activities on all levels of governmental authorities, as well as international and non-governmental organizations dealing with the issues of disaster risk reduction in the Kyrgyz Republic

ImplementingthegovernmentalpolicyinthefieldofDRR, theMinistryofEmergencySituationsofKRisresponsibleforthecollaborationwithforeigncountriesandinternationalorganizationsinthefieldofensuringtheexecutionofInter-Governmental and Inter-State Agreements, conventions in the field of population protection from natural and manmade disasters. TheMinistryofEmergencySituationsdevelops and presents to the Parliament of the KR its suggestions on attracting investments and grants from international organizations and financial institutions for the disaster risk reduction and mitigation. Inthisconnections, theprioritiesoftheHyogoDeclarationandHyogoFrameworkforActionaretheimportantcomponents for the sustainable development of population and ensuring more safe world, and within accepted responsibilities the Ministry develops the “National Platform on capacity building of resilience to disasters on the governmental and communities levels in Kyrgyzstan for the implementation of the HFA 2005-2015”. The GovernmentoftheKRseesthe solution oftheseissues intherealizationofprogrammesandprojectsfinancedbytheinternationalorganizations, whereall the problems connected with disasters are being studied in detail.

DearLadiesandGentlemen!

ThepeculiaritiesofthenatureintheKyrgyzRepubliccausedabignumberofthenaturalphenomenathat,dependingontherateofmastering the territory, cause the natural disasters. Inaword, ontheterritoryoftheKyrgyzstanthereare 20 differenttypesof emergency situations observed.

OurGovernmentattaches much importance to the international cooperation in resilience to disasters. Thedisasterovercoming all over the world is impossible without coordinated efforts and close international cooperation.

Oneoftheimpressiveexamples of the fruitful cooperation with international organizations is the establishment of the international Disaster Response Coordination Unit (DRCU).

The main goal of DRCU is to enhance cooperation and coordination in the field of disaster response and for adequate and effective response to the possible emergency situations on the territory of the KyrgyzRepublic.

However, theglobalproblemofthecomplexdisasterresponsewillnotbesolvedif the strategic importance is not attached and not to pay attention on the international and governmental level.

Dear colleagues, I hope that by joint efforts we can address a variety of issues and uneasy tasks set for all of us that connected with emergency situations. I hope that during the meeting there will be constructive and subject based discussion, and with your support we would be able to accept the final document that will reflect the effective and integrated approach for the disaster prevention, mitigation and risk reduction.

Dear participants of the meeting!

InconclusionofmystatementIwouldliketodrawallinterestedparties’ attention thatthroughthediscussionandjointeffortswe willachievedesired results for the sake of our people and hope that this event will give the positive outcomes in the future. AlsoIwouldliketomentionagaintheactualityofthismeeting, toexpressthehopeforthefuturerealizationofthisinitiative not in a short term, but desirably in a long term. Thiswouldhelpustoensurethesustainabilityofourjointactivities for the sake of our people.

Thank you for your attention!