Closer International Cooperation Urged in Disaster Risk Reduction

Chairman Kang Il Sop of the DPRK State Committee for Emergency and Disaster Management, on a visit to Cancun, Mexico, leading a delegation, made a speech at the meeting of heads of delegations to the world forum for disaster risk reduction on May 26.

Referring to the notable progress the DPRK has made in the efforts to reduce disaster risks in line with international agreements including the Sendai framework document, he said that the country will continue to strive to achieve the goals and carry out tasks set forth in the above-said document ahead of schedule by strictly adhering to the principle of attaching importance to the people and, to this end, work together with different governments and international organizations.

He stressed the need to take substantial measures fund disaster risk reduction efforts in developing and underdeveloped countries and to solve scientific and technological problems in order to promote international cooperation.

It is important to provide a favourable environment for boosting international cooperation in this pursuit, he said. However, illegal and unethical acts are being committed now in the international arena to deprive sovereign states of their rights to existence and development only to serve unreasonable political, economic and military purposes, he added.

He called for not allowing any unilateral sanctions and isolation policies against specific countries to adversely affect the international cooperation for disaster risk reduction.

KCNA