This is because disaster is a humanitarian issue for which conflicts and differences in political viewpoint can be set asideBadung, Bali (ANTARA) - The 7th Session of Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (GPDRR) in Bali on May 25-28 is testament to the fact that the world can still unite to discuss disaster issues amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
"This is because disaster is a humanitarian issue for which conflicts and differences in political viewpoint can be set aside," Indonesian Foreign Affairs Ministry's senior diplomat, Febrian A. Ruddyard, stated here on Thursday.
"This GPDRR is one of the few meetings that can set aside various matters and focus on the humanitarian issue," Ruddyard noted after leading the plenary meeting of the GPDRR.
To this end, the senior diplomat believes that holding the GPDRR presents a good example in uniting our polarized world to face various global challenges.
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Disaster issues have become collective problems and responsibilities, regardless of position, status, and occupation, Ruddyard told ANTARA.
"These disaster issues are everybody’s business and everybody’s responsibility," he affirmed.
The 2022 GPDRR is the UN's annual agenda attended by more than seven thousand delegations from 193 countries.
Among foreign delegations that attend the event, either directly or virtually, are representatives from Russia, the United States, and Ukraine that also attend the meeting.
According to the UN, the United States and Russia have sent their representatives to directly attend the GPDRR meeting in Bali.
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However, Ukraine did not send its delegation, though it still participates in the GPDRR event virtually, UNDRR's Public Information Officer Omar Amach told ANTARA here.
Despite this, Indonesia, as the host of the 2022 GPDRR, ensures that the event focuses on disaster issues and will not bring up other matters, such as the peace negotiation efforts between Russia and Ukraine.
The GPDRR 2022, held at the Bali Nusa Dua Convention Center (BNDCC), is a forum that connects representatives from governments, non-governmental organizations, UN's agencies, and business actors to discuss disaster action.
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Translator: Genta Tenri M, Fadhli Ruhman
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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