CPEC registered progress in all sectors despite Covid: NDMA chief

ISLAMABAD, November 5 (Gwadar pro)- Chairman of Pakistani National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Akhtar Nawaz said on Thursday afternoon that under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the flagship project China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) had registered progress in all areas despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

Chairman Nawaz represented Pakistan at the BRI Ministerial Forum for International Cooperation in Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Emergency Management conference. The Forum was organized by the Ministry of Emergency Management of China and held online.

In his remarks, the NDMA Chairman highlighted that CPEC had further enhanced the All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership between the two countries.

Cognizant of the need to strengthen Disaster Risk Management system and mechanism to protect economic and social development, the NDMA Chairman emphasized Pakistani government’s initiative to establish a dedicated and comprehensive disaster management system to tackle disaster-related issues in a holistic manner, said an official statement.

He reiterated the need to enhance international cooperation by strengthening capacities, capitalizing on the work done by individual countries, and adopting an inclusive approach.

In addition to Pakistan and China, the conference was attended by Ministers and Senior Officials responsible for Disaster Risk Reduction and Emergency Management from Belarus, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Mongolia, Mozambique, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Serbia and Turkey. Representatives from UN Agencies and humanitarian organizations also participated.

Participating countries of the Forum adopted the Beijing Declaration with a consensus on promoting cooperation in resilience and disaster risk reduction and management.