Risk Returns

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] 66

Argentina: working together

for disaster risk reduction

Gabriel M. Fuks and Carlos E. Zaballa, White Helmets Argentina

ven though Argentina has been active in the risk reduction

field since the beginning of the International Decade for

Natural Disaster Reduction (IDNDR) 1990-1999, it was

only in 2005, after the approval of the Hyogo Framework for

Action (HFA), that our involvement became a true State policy.

The clearest indication of this commitment to date was the decision

by Argentina to accept the Presidency of the International Strategy

for Disaster Reduction (ISDR) support group for the 2007-2009

period. The task required the assembly of a special team, as well as

an additional financial effort to cover all the travelling involved and

the cost in professional personnel. This effort was recognized by

the ISDR authorities during the meeting of the Global Platform for

Disaster Risk Reduction in 2009, stressing the fact that it was made

by a developing country.

Argentina National Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction

One of the key mandates of the HFA was the elaboration of National

Platforms for Disaster Risk Reduction. Argentina’s platform began

to take shape in 2007 and is evolving satisfactorily. All levels of the

public sector (national, provincial andmunicipal) are participating. The

private sector is also represented, in particular the insur-

ance industry, academia and organizations of civil society.

The platform is coordinated by the White Helmets

Commission of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and by

the undersecretary for provincial development of the

Ministry of the Interior.

White Helmets is an initiative that has received

international recognition for its role in humanitarian

assistance and has close links with the Office for the

Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), United

Nations Volunteers (UNV) and ISDR. The other coor-

dinator of the platform is in charge of civil protection

as well as harbouring the formal relations of the federal

government with the provinces.

The platform meets twice a year in plenary sessions. It

also holds meetings of specialized working groups all year

round, following the priorities of the HFA. What we have

accomplished grants us the right to be optimistic, even

though we are aware that there is still a long way to go.

Argentina has also participated in meetings held

in Geneva, Mexico, New York and Panama. The

2008b

White Helmets – post Hurricane Katrina

White Helmets prevention training

Image: White Helmets