On 2 September, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General to the African Union and Head of UNOAU, Parfait Onanga-Anyanga, met with Kamal Kishore, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction and Head of the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), to discuss disaster risk reduction, early warning and anticipatory action in Africa.
SRSG Kishore highlighted Africa’s exposure to climate and disaster risks and the additional challenges posed by governance and institutional capacity gaps, particularly in fragile settings. He emphasized the importance of translating risk information into actionable information that can support communities and decision-makers in preparing for and responding to disasters.
Discussions also addressed Africa’s priority under the Secretary-General’s Early Warnings for All initiative, preparedness for El Niño, and the importance of developing sustainable early warning systems with strong national and continental ownership.
SRSG Onanga-Anyanga welcomed closer collaboration between UNOAU and UNDRR and underscored the importance of addressing climate and disaster risks in fragile, conflict-affected and vulnerable settings. He also highlighted the need to integrate peace and security considerations into disaster risk reduction and early warning efforts, including through strengthened engagement with relevant African Union structures.
