Leaders in Europe and Central Asia jointly call for strengthened disaster resilience and climate action ahead of COP29

Budva, Montenegro – 8 November 2024

The 2024 Europe and Central Asia Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction concluded today in Budva, Montenegro, bringing together over 700 participants, including ministers, civil protection leaders, and diverse stakeholders from 55 UN Member States.

In a show of unity, Member States endorsed a political declaration that committed to strengthening Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and addressing the growing impacts of climate change in the region, ahead of the COP29 conference taking place in Baku, Azerbaijan, next week. 

They acknowledged the escalating risks across the region, exacerbated by climate change, economic vulnerabilities, and geopolitical tensions, and committed to four targeted actions in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and the regional DRR Roadmap 2021-2030: 

1. Integrated Action on DRR and Climate Resilience: Member States committed to scaling up integrated actions on disaster risk reduction and climate change. This includes setting more ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) that not only meet climate targets but also prepare communities for future disasters.

2. Inclusive Risk Governance: Member States committed to meaningfully engage all sectors of government and society, with a focus on marginalized groups, to ensure disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation policies are inclusive and effective for all communities.

3. Increased Financing for Resilience: Member States committed to enhancing disaster and climate risk financing. This involves prioritizing investments in resilient and green infrastructure capable of withstanding climate impacts and natural hazards, with a focus on nature-based solutions and sustainable technologies.

4. Enhanced Early Warning Systems: Member States committed to improving multi-hazard early warning systems (EWS) to ensure timely and accurate and accessible alerts for all hazards. The goal is to expand EWS coverage to protect every person globally by 2027, in line with UN targets.

These commitments underscore the determination of Member States to work collaboratively in building a resilient future for communities across the region. They committed to echo these pledges at COP29 in Baku, and to pursuing intensified actions address climate-driven risks and other natural hazards. 

Additionally, the Platform launched the Montenegro Call for Action on Earthquake Preparedness and Recovery, aimed at strengthening regional cooperation, improving technical capacity, and driving investments toward earthquake resilience. 

Danilo Šaranović, Minister of the Interior of Montenegro, said: “The issue of natural hazards is not limited to individual countries. The fact that certain countries in Europe and Central Asia share fault lines and seismic zones highlights the significant impact of earthquakes not only on the country where they occur but also on neighbouring countries. Therefore, mutual cooperation is essential in disaster prevention to mitigate and reduce the impact of earthquakes. At the ministerial roundtable, we reaffirmed our shared commitment to building a safer and more resilient future for our communities, economies, and ecosystems. We also discussed the next steps in implementing disaster risk reduction measures across Europe and Central Asia.”

Kamal Kishore, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction: “I welcome the Political Declaration issued by the countries of Europe and Central Asia, which commits the region to higher levels of action to reduce the human and economic costs of disasters. This declaration is especially pertinent as we head into COP29 where we hope to inspire more ambitious commitments from all countries to ensure that the goals of the Sendai Framework and Paris Agreement are realized. I also thank Montenegro for its hospitality and leadership, and I welcome its Call for Action on Earthquake Preparedness and Recovery, which seeks to remedy a critical gap in the region’s resilience against earthquakes. Together, these two outcomes demonstrate the region’s leadership on disaster risk reduction and its commitment to achieving resilience for all.” 

Janez Lenarčič, Commissioner for Crisis Management said: “Disasters do not recognise borders or institutional silos, so neither should our solidary and cooperation. Together, we can achieve a more resilient future for all. This is what the European Commission is working towards with its partners in Europe and beyond. We work to strengthen the EU Civil Protection Mechanism by expanding the rescEU strategic reserve of assets, growing the Civil Protection Knowledge Network and implementing the European disaster resilience goals. We also continue working to strengthen the disaster preparedness of the most vulnerable populations and communities through EU humanitarian aid. And we work with our international partners to scale-up disaster risk reduction. Here in Budva today, we have renewed our commitment to make the vision of the Sendai Framework a reality.”

Krzysztof Zyman, Executive Secretary of EUR-OPA Major Hazards Agreement, Council of Europe said: “The link between environment and human rights is increasingly recognized today. A healthy environment is essential for the protection of human rights, while environmental degradation can lead to severe violations of these rights. Living in an unhealthy environment, marred by pollution, loss of biodiversity, impacted by ever-more frequent and impactful extreme weather events, which are amplified by human intervention or climate change, negatively impacts our well-being and fundamental rights. Ultimately, this degradation can undermine democracy itself. To address these threats, in 2022, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe adopted a landmark Recommendation on human rights and the protection of the environment, calling on its member states to actively consider recognising, at national level, the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, as a human right.”

This Regional Platform marked the largest multi-stakeholder gathering in the region for the implementation of the Sendai Framework since its inception. It provided a unique forum for diverse groups, including youth, persons with disabilities, gender rights advocates, and the private sector, to share perspectives and influence collective action to protect communities, strengthen inclusive governance, and integrate DRR measures across all sectors. 

Yannis Vardakastanis, President of the European Disability Forum, said: “It is essential that persons with disabilities and their organisations are involved in building policies and actions to protect people during crisis. Not only do we face disproportionate risks and barriers, but we also have knowledge that will help build more accessible and resilient solutions.”

The Platform also resulted in the Children and Youth Statement: The Road to Resilience which was presented to civil protection leaders to ensure inclusive decision-making and resilience-building for all communities in the region.
Elene Samukashvili, Focal Point of the Sendai Stakeholder Children and Youth Working Group in the UN Major Group for Children and Youth said: “The Children and Youth Statement: The Road to Resilience calls for urgent action and genuine, systemic inclusion in decision-making at all levels. More than a call to action, it’s a youth-driven blueprint for change, calling for governments, organizations, and individuals to join us as allies in building a resilient, sustainable future. Together, we can create the transformative change our generation deserves.”

About

The Europe and Central Asia Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction is the main intergovernmental platform for addressing regional disaster risk challenges in Europe and Central Asia, comprising 55 countries. Held every three years, the Regional Platform has established itself as a unique vehicle to address regional disaster risk challenges, gathering stakeholders across governments, civil society, and the private sector, enabling knowledge-sharing and making commitments to reducing disaster risk tangible. The platform is supported by a secretariat composed of the European Commission, the Council of Europe, the host country of the platform and UNDRR. Further information on the Europe and Central Asia Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction 2024 is available on the website: https://efdrr.undrr.org/ 

The 2024 Regional Platform is hosted by the Government of Montenegro, with support from the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), the European Commission, the Council of Europe, and in collaboration with the UN Development Programme (UNDP). Further information is available on the website: https://efdrr.undrr.org/ 

The last Regional Platform in Matosinhos, Portugal, in 2021, led to the endorsement of the ‘EFDRR Roadmap for Disaster Risk Reduction 2021-2030', which outlines four priority areas and sixteen action areas for the region to achieve the priorities of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030. The Sendai Framework is the global agreement offering Member States concrete actions to protect development gains from the risk of disaster, working hand in hand with the other 2030 Agenda agreements, and ultimately the Sustainable Development Goals.