SELA to present guide for local governments and enterprises to reduce disaster risks

Caracas, 9 October 2014.- The Permanent Secretariat of the Latin American and Caribbean Economic System (SELA) will present the document “Continuity of Operations (COOP) and Continuity of Government (COG): Implementation guide for local governments and enterprises”.

The document, prepared by the consultant Ana Lucia Hill Mayoral, will serve as a basis for discussions and exchange of ideas and experiences to take place in the "III Regional Seminar on partnerships between the public and private sectors for disaster risk management: Continuity of government and continuity of business and operations during disasters in Latin America and the Caribbean: Progress and experiences from the perspective of local governments and enterprises," which will be held in Samborondón, Ecuador, on 14 and 15 October 2014.

The regional meeting is organized by the Permanent Secretariat of SELA and the Government of the Republic of the Ecuador, through the Secretariat for Risk Management (SGR), and with the support of the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UN/ISDR).

The document notes that the impact of disasters on the social and economic development of a country not only depends on the intensity of the phenomenon, but is directly related to our level of preparation.

In addition, the study stresses that -according to the most recent Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction (GAR, 2013)- economic losses exceeding US$ 100 billion were reported in the period 1981-2011.

The damage caused by earthquakes and cyclonic winds between 1970 and 2011 amounted to US$ 180 billion, which does not cover the local cost of disasters affecting public and private organizations due to floods, slides, fires and storms, or disruptions in the organizations of society.

Danger scenarios arise at the local level, and therefore it is everyone’s responsibility to contribute to disaster risk reduction. In this regard, it is necessary to develop and implement plans for continuity of businesses and operations that guarantee the operation of public and private organizations at the local level.

“Continuity of Operations (COOP) and Continuity of Government (COG): Implementation guide for local governments and enterprises” is a document aimed at arousing discussions on the adoption of continuity policies as a tool for disaster risk reduction (DRR) and serving as an instrument, a guide for the implementation of a continuity strategy in the public and private sectors at the local level. The ultimate goal is to minimize the cost of future disasters and contribute to the continuous development of communities.

The Permanent Secretariat has prepared several studies on the issue of public-private partnerships for disaster risk reduction over the past years, including: i) Financial Mechanisms, Insurance and Reinsurance against Disasters in Latin America and the Caribbean: Recent Experiences (2010); ii) Guidelines for cooperation between governments and the private sector for disaster risk reduction: Approaches, achievements and challenges (2011); iii) Partnerships between the public and private sectors for disaster risk reduction: Continuity of government and continuity of operations during disasters (2012); iv) Continuity of business and operations during disasters in Latin America and the Caribbean. Balance and recommendations; and Continuity of operations (COOP) and continuity of government (COG): Proposal for their implementation in Latin America and the Caribbean (2013).

The intergovernmental organization -which brings together 28 Member States of the region– has dealt with the issue of public-private partnerships for disaster risk reduction, in compliance with agreements reached within the framework of the Regional Meeting on International Mechanisms for Humanitarian Assistance (MIAH), an initiative mandated by the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) and organized by the Regional Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

Initiatives being implemented by SELA in this matter are also based on the Memorandum of Understanding between the United Nations and the Permanent Secretariat to promote cooperation and coordination in the area of disaster risk reduction in Latin America and the Caribbean for the period 2012-2015, with a focus on the project “Cooperation between governments and the private sector for disaster risk reduction”.